Chronicles of Jason: From the Ashes
by NaylorFan90
Summary: Nearly three months have passed since Jason learned the terrible truth. Abandoned by many of those who were once his friends, he must rise from the ashes of his failures to become the hero he's meant to be. M for language, violence, and implied rape.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days, Original Life, or any of their characters. They are all the intellectual property of Jay Naylor. I only hope to do his magnificent work proud while I work.

**The Chronicles of Jason**

From the Ashes: Chapter 1

* * *

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down onto him from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly came to a stop and looked up, red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty wasteland, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers._

"_No…please…" Jason curled up into a ball, hiding his face behind broken, mangled arms. The water rose up to half-way up his shins and stayed there, as his small body was wracked by terrible, agonizing shudders. His hands clenched at his hair, the pounding of the rain drowning out any sound as it fell onto his form, the slashes and cuts turning the water an ugly red._

"_I don't…want to be…alone…"_

* * *

_Alexandria, Virginia_

_5:35 P.M._

Angela Faunt hated hospitals. This may seem like a very odd thing to say about her, considering the fact that she is, technically, a professionally-trained doctor. However, over the roughly 36 years of her life, she had seen far too many loved ones enter them but never leave alive to like them. Those sterile white walls, the smell of cheap flowers trying vainly to hide the reek of antiseptics and sickness; and worse of all, the ambivalent, distracted gazes of those around you; these all combine to make hospitals one of Angela's least favorite places to be.

So why was she at that hospital, waiting impatiently as the bored nurse behind the desk lazily looked up a patient's room number?

The same reason she had been visiting that hospital for the last two and a half months. The same reason she had permanently left the Company. The same reason Ana, Ryan, Fisk, and so many others had more or less ostracized her. The same reason her son was still alive.

"Jason Black you said?"

Angela refocused her attention to the young woman behind the desk and quickly nodded her head in irritation. She'd been visiting the same person every week for nearly a month, why did she have to go through this **every** time?

Regardless of the answer to that question, she watched as the receptionist glanced at her computer screen once more before snorting and glaring at her. "He was moved last night to the private ward; you know, where all the **important** people get to go. Actors, politicians, big-fuckin' businessmen." She let out a disgusted snort, her eyes briefly taking in Angela's sky-blue tank top and tan knee-length skirt. "Buncha rich bastards showing off their dumb cash. I bet they got all kinds of fancy shit in there."

"Yes, I see." Angela frowned at the human's little speech, doing her absolute best to restrain the annoyed sigh building up in her. Instead she leaned across the counter and glared at the receptionist. "But which **room** is he in?"

The receptionist rolled her large, round eyes and jerked her thumb at the elevator. "Room 403."

"Thank you." Angela turned and briskly walked away from the check-in desk, ignoring the barely-whispered "bitch" from the woman there. Instead she merely pressed the call button and waited, tightening her grip just the slightest bit on the bouquet of yellow carnations in her hands. As she waited for the elevator to arrive her mind wandered to the question of who had moved Jason to the private wards. She highly doubted that Jason himself had done it; ever since the…revelation of his heritage, he'd barely spoken more than two-word sentences.

And that was another thing that occupied Angela's thoughts as she stepped into the arrived elevator car and pressed the button for the correct floor. The mere thought that Jason, **her** Jason, could in any way be related to White, to Asura, sent shivers up her spine. But she'd been there when the Company's DNA tests had confirmed it. In fact, she had been the one to perform the tests. No matter how much it horrified her, the man she loved was the son of a monster.

Her hands unconsciously found their way to her slightly-rounded belly, stroking over the soft fur.

Her thoughts were dragged back to the present as the elevator chimed. The doors slid open, allowing Angela to step out onto a far less inhabited section of the hospital. Smooth tan marble floors and light peach walls created a warm, relaxing atmosphere. Angela's black high heels clacked on the marble as she walked through the halls, nodding to anyone she passed. They in turn nodded back tersely, confirming to the Bat that even here, doctors were doctors.

"…_405…404…ah, 403, here we go."_

Angela stood in front of a dark mahogany door, identical to all the others in the hall except for the brass numbers at eye level.

403.

Angela reached forward and grasped the handle lightly, but did not turn it. Her eyes narrowed softly, as some strange, unidentifiable feeling suddenly coursed its way through her. She did not know or understand why, but she felt like today would be different somehow from all the other previous visits.

With a heavy sigh, she turned the door handle and pushed in.

* * *

Red eyes stared at a wall-sized window lifelessly, unfocused and unblinking. Beyond the window the rain fell in pouring sheets, dousing the room in a watery-grey. No artificial lighting was on, casting much of the room in shadow. To the right of the window lay an empty bed, its pristine-white sheets a light blue in the watery light.

Near the middle of the room sat a wheelchair, in which sat a young Cat clad in nothing but teal cotton pants. Much of his fur was a dark black, like ebony freshly polished. Over his left eye and on the tips of his ears was white the shade of freshly-fallen snow. Scarlet eyes, like the color of flame, seemed to glow in the cool darkness of the room. Raven-black hair hung listlessly down his head and over his eyes, casting them into shadow. Many would have considered him a very handsome Cat.

Or at least, they would have three months ago. His formerly tall, toned body was thin, and weak from the time spent restrained to a hospital bed. The entirety of his right arm, from the shoulder down, was completely missing, leaving just a stub. His chest, stomach, and back were a patchwork of scars, some angry and violent like those left by bullets and shrapnel, others calm and precise like the work of blades. But it was his face that was the true travesty. When Fisk had knocked White's aim off, the blast that had been intended to take Jason's head off instead took his lower jaw off, reducing the bone to dust and the flesh to near-nothing. The searing heat from the blast travelled down his trachea, scorching the vulnerable flesh irreparably.

And so Akira made him a new one. Fixed to the lower part of Jason's face was an artificial jaw composed of steel and ceramic for the structure and teeth, with softer, more organic plastics both serving as the "lip" and covering it like skin. Several fused-together tubes were inserted into his chest and what remained of his neck, connecting between his lungs and mouth as an artificial windpipe. An artificial larynx aided what remained of his vocal folds, producing a deep, gravely, slightly mechanical voice. While the neck had been covered in artificial skin and fur, the jaw was left bare.

Jason made no sound as behind him the door to his room slowly creaked open, casting a pillar of light onto him. Soft footsteps echoed in the room, before a small, comforting hand rested on his left shoulder.

"Hey Hun, it's me, Angela." He remained sitting silently, prompting her to speak again. "I brought you some flowers…but it doesn't look like there's a vase in this new room." That did garner a reaction, as he slowly wheeled himself around to look at her dully.

"Yeah…you're right…"

Angela flinched slightly at the lifelessness, the utter brokenness that could be found in his voice. Leaving his side for a moment she moved over and set the flowers on the bed, before turning back to him. "Did you have yourself moved?"

Jason's eyes, which had until this point focused completely on her belly, slowly slid up to Angela's face. He stayed silent for a moment. "…no…I'd thought you had…" His eyes fell back down to her belly. "I suppose…it must have been Akira then…"

Angela shrugged, meekly wrapping her arms around her middle and looking away.

Silence reigned within the room, weighing down on its inhabitants like a horrible mantle. Jason stared off into space, the low thrumming that was his breathing the loudest sound in the room. His eyes stayed focused on his visitor, as dull and lifeless as they were before she had arrived.

"Why are you here?"

Jason watched as his guest flinched slightly at the sudden question; his eyes followed hers as they looked everywhere except at him. His face remained emotionless as she walked over and once more placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Because…because, I…"

A loud knocking sound came from the door, interrupting whatever Angela had been about to say. Both turned to look at the door as it opened, both privately glad for the interruption. Into the room walked a fairly tall, slim cat who both Angela and Jason noted to bear an odd resemblance to Lucy. She was dressed in a maroon tube top that more than accentuated her chest, tight denim shorts that ended just below the knee, black leather boots, and a brown leather jacket that looked about two sizes too small. Her snowy-white hair was kept long and spiky, combed just enough to stay out of her golden eyes. Around her neck was a red leather collar, with a bell affixed to the front.

She looked around the room slowly, before giggling and flicking the light switch on. "Ho do either of you expect to be able to see each other vithout the lightss on? Is this something Americans do for fun?"

Angela shared a discreet look with Jason, before stepping forward and between him and the stranger. "Excuse me, but who are you?" Behind her, Jason merely sat watching.

"Oh, right!" The stranger scratched the back of her head and blushed in what they assumed to be embarrassment. "Sorry, how rude of me to not introduce myself! My name is Kie'sel; it's a pleasure to meet you two!" The woman eagerly held her hand out to Angela, a blindingly-bright smile on her face. Hesitantly Angela took the offered hand and shook it, but kept her free hand positioned where she could easily grab her hidden dagger if she needed to.

"Your accent…German I think?"

Kie'sel's face split into a wide grin, as she vigorously shook Angela's hand up and down. "Ja, impressive! Most people aren't able to tell anymore!"

Angela smiled as well, breaking the handshake and going to stand beside Jason. Her hand moved to rest lightly on the back of his wheelchair, subtly tapping the back of his head in Morse code. Jason made no sign of noticing, instead letting his hand drift down to a discreet compartment in his chair where he'd hidden a knife.

"So…what is your…business here?"

If Kie'sel was put off any by Jason's hard voice, she did a very good job hiding it. Her hand moved to pull something out of her pocket, but stopped when she noticed the other two tense at this action. Raising an eyebrow in confusion regarding this behavior, she finished reaching into her pocket and pulled out a business card. "I am representing a doctor in Chermany, one who takes a great interest in your case."

Jason ignored the offered card, his eyes never leaving hers. "I don't know any doctors in Germany. And even if I did…I've been told I'll never walk again. It's…pointless."

Kie'sel frowned sadly and set the card down on a nearby table, her hands sliding into her pockets as she turned back to him. "Yah, zet's vhat I vas told by the doctors vhen I spoke to them. But my employer, Dr. Jenkinss, she has developed an experimental treatment dat she believes can-"

"I said no."

Kie'sel stopped mid-sentence, stuttering in confusion at Jason's flat-out refusal. Angela looked down at him, also confused about why he would refuse the chance to walk again. Jason continued looking at Kie'sel for a moment, before with difficulty turning his wheelchair and wheeling himself to look out the window.

"I…lost my ability to walk…because I was a selfish fool. I deserve…to be stuck in this chair…" Jason stopped speaking. With a soft sigh his eyes glazed back over, once more looking out into the pouring rain.

Beside him, Angela ran her hand through her hair glumly before nodding and patting him on the shoulder in understanding. Turning she motioned the seriously confused German to follow her and then left the room, waiting until Kie'sel was also out before shutting the door. She then turned and looked at the other woman distrustfully. But within that distrust was also a small bit of hope.

"Sorry for that. He's been very…down, lately."

"I see." The young Cat shifted from foot to foot for a moment, before shrugging and giving Angela a bright smile. "Det's good, I vas afraid I had offended him someho! But, vhat was dat he was going on abot? Vhy wold he deserve getting stuck in a vheelchair?"

Angela sighed softly, absently running her hand through her hair as she tried to think of a way to answer without really answering. "Well, it's complicated. Let's just say he did some things right before the accident that he is ashamed of."

Kie'sel nodded in what Angela assumed to be understanding. "I see."

"Yeah…" Angela looked back at the door to Jason's room nervously, before turning back and looking Kie'sel in the eye. "Your employer…she really thinks her research can help?"

The other woman nodded as soon as the question was asked. "Ja. I'm not a doctor, so I can't explain it to you wery vell. Not zat dat metters anymore, if Mr. Black iss unwilling to proceed…"

"Well…" Angela shifted her weight nervously. What she was considering would be considered highly questionable if anyone were to find out. But when Angela thought back and remembered the sadness, the brokenness in Jason, she realized that she at least had to consider it. Turning her attention back to Kie'sel she shrugged noncommittally. "I mean, I am Jason's legal physician. If I were sure that this treatment could help, I could recommend he do it as his doctor…"

For a moment, Kie'sel showed no sign of understanding what Angela was getting at. After a moment however, her face split into a wide grin, and her golden eyes flashed mischievously. "Oh, I am seeing vhat you are getting et!" Reaching into her pocket she retrieved an orange USB flash drive, eagerly holding it out to the Bat. "Here, my employer put ze basic detailss of her research on here, in case you needed some convincing."

Angela blinked and reached for the drive, honestly surprised that she was getting access to the information so easily. Just who was this Dr. Jenkins anyway?

* * *

Later that night, Angela sat at her home desk, idly chewing on some candied pineapple as she worked away on her laptop. Her eyes roamed over the screen as she carefully studied the research she had gotten earlier. While much of it was out of her area of expertise, enough of it was understandable for her to be extremely impressed by the work she was seeing. Clicking to another page of the material, her eyes continued to absorb and catalog the information even as her mind wandered elsewhere. Specifically, she tried to decide what she was actually going to do.

"_This all just seems too good to be true. How do I know this isn't just some ploy on White's part to try to kill Jason again? But…oh, who am I kidding; White could probably storm through that door at any time and shoot me down without any trouble at all…damn it."_

Angela stood up from her desk and, having thoroughly scared herself, walked over to a small locker set against the wall to her left, next to a doorway leading from the bedroom to the living room. Opening the metal locker she reached in and grabbed a Spectre M4 submachine gun and two 50-round magazines, quickly sliding one in before grabbing her KA-BAR fighting knife she kept from the Corps and shutting the locker.

Just as she turned from the locker and began back to the computer a sound came from the living room. Angela froze mid-step, her grip on the weapons in her hands tightening as she slowly turned towards the hallway to where the sound came from. Flipping the knife into a reverse-hand grip she stalked forward, hugging the wall tightly. Another sound came from the living room, followed by the soft sound of a child coughing.

Angela felt her blood run cold, forgetting all thoughts of stealth as she rushed forward. _"Constantine!"_ She barreled into the living room, sweeping her gun around as she scanned it. Another sound, followed by more of her son's coughing, and she was running to her child's room faster than she thought she could, ignoring the sting of tears in her eyes as she went.

"_Not…another…loss!"_

She nearly ripped the door off its hinges as she threw it open and leveled her gun at the Cat standing over Constantine's bed. It took several seconds before her mind registered the startled face of her butler.

"...Dalfer?"

The grey-furred Cat nodded shakily. Angela felt her cheeks heat up as she realized what she was doing, quickly lowering the submachine gun and looking down. That's right, she thought to herself, Jason's lent butler, Dalfer. She'd been so invested in the data she was going over that she had forgotten he was even there.

"Ma'am?"

Angela looked back up to the elder man, nodding for him to continue. Nodding back he fixed her in place with warm grey eyes. "Ma'am, you seem to be on edge tonight. Did something happen when you visited Master Jason?"

Angela let a soft sigh escape through her lips, as she set down her gun and knife on a table to her right. Turning back she ran a hand through her hair as she thought the question over. Dalfer waited patiently, his hands folded in front of him. After several moments she shrugged and looked back up at him. "Well, yeah. A woman came by. From Germany. She said that the doctor she worked for had developed a method that could help Jason."

The grey Cat nodded understandingly, though his eyes still held a hint of confusion in them. "And you worry that this offer may in fact be some sort of trap? To lure you and Jason to a place none of your friends could help you?"

"…yes, that's exactly it."

Dalfer sighed heavily while moving forward, resting a hand on the Bat's shoulder and gently guiding her from Constantine's room back into the living room. "A long time ago, my company was sent in to provide some tactical support for the Burmese government as they quelled some rebel uprisings. While there we caused a great deal of trouble for the rebels; and so they decide to take us out of the picture."

Angela sat down on one of the chairs, keeping her gaze fixed on the man as he paced, recounting his story.

"After a while our numbers began to dwindle, more and more of us dying from injuries that should have been easy." Dalfer stopped pacing and turned to look at her, his face grave. "The rebels had managed to sneak in an assassin disguised as one of our doctors, and were using him to discretely weaken us from the inside out."

"So, what did you do?"

Dalfer's eyes grew dark when Angela asked this question, his frame sagging as the weight of the years seemed to double on his shoulders. "The government we were assisting took it out of our hands…by executing **all** of our doctors." Silence reigned in the room. He leaned in close to Angela's horrified face, his voice taking on a warning tone. "Sometimes, the worst result of misplaced trust is lack of trust."

* * *

A/N: An epic new arc in the Original Days storyline begins! New characters, new places, and new relationships await our heroes!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days, Original Life, or any of their characters. They are all the intellectual property of Jay Naylor. I only hope to do his magnificent work proud while I work.

A/N: I've decided that I've been using italics for too many things. Therefore, starting this chapter, underlining will be used when a character is speaking a non-English language, while [boxing] will denote the words of someone on the other end of a phone, radio, etc.

**The Chronicles of Jason**

From the Ashes: Chapter 2

//////////////////////////////

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft, sad tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly stopped walking and looked up, dull red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty wasteland, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers._

"_No…please…" Jason curled up into a ball, hiding his face behind broken, mangled arms. The water rose up to half-way up his shins and stayed there, as his small body was wracked by terrible, agonizing shudders. His hands clenched at his hair, the pounding of the rain drowning out any sound as it fell onto his form, the slashes and cuts turning the water an angry red._

"_I don't…want to be…alone…"_

_//////////////////////////////_

_Berlin Tegel Airport, Berlin_

_9:45 P.M._

Jason Black hated airports. Not airports per se, but really the people that were found in them. It seemed to him that airports attracted for their staff the dumbest, cruelest, most uncaring people of the world; the kind of people who seemed to thrive on causing others as much trouble and misfortune as they could get away with. But what made it all unbearable to Jason was the general level of incompetency to be found in the staff. As his mom Velona once said, _"People go to be bullies at airports only because they can't cut it being bullies anywhere else."_ Thinking back on those words, Jason almost smiled, if not for experiencing what she had meant firsthand.

"I am sorry sir; it seems some of your luggage has been lost. Would you like to be registered so that we may contact you if your luggage shows up?"

Jason dully glared up at the slightly-smirking Wolf behind the check-in counter, before sighing and shaking his head. "Nein, that won't be necessary. Have a nice day." Jason signaled to go; behind him, Dalfer gripped the handlebars for the wheelchair and began making his way away from the counter back to their group.

Jason leaned back in the seat, carefully keeping his eyes aimed forward, ignoring the countless looks of curiosity, alarm, and pity being directed at him by the people around him. It didn't matter whatever they thought of him, he thought to himself cynically. It couldn't be any worse than truth.

Caught up in his thoughts, Jason only noticed that he and Dalfer had rejoined the group at their terminal when a delicate hand was placed on his remaining shoulder. He looked up into Angela's concerned eyes.

"Is everything alright?"

Jason shook his head. "It's nothing to get worked up over. I was needing to get rid of that old duster anyway…" He broke eye contact with her and looked around, a frown forming on his face when he noticed someone was absent. "Where's Kie'sel?"

Angela shifted a sleeping Constantine in her arms, chuckling at the way his tiny hands gripped at the hem of her sky-blue dress, before answering. "She left to go find Dr. Jenkins. She's late."

Jason nodded slowly and relaxed in his seat. "Do you know anything about this woman? Where she was taught, what she's done, anything like that?"

Angela shook her head, no longer looking at Jason or Dalfer as she scanned the crowds around them for signs of the young German girl. "I did a bit of digging, but couldn't find anything other than that she started out in the military, and **then** moved on to true medical school."

"Hmm, reminds me of you Ma'am, if you don't mind my interruption."

Angela smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, I was thinking the same thing actually. Let's just hope that the similarities end there. I certainly don't want to have to contend with a German counterpart to Mr. White." Angela chuckled lightly, before freezing as she seemed to realize what she'd just said. Her eyes moved back down to see Jason hanging his head, his face hidden by his raven hair. "I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Hey guys!"

Jason, Angela and Dalfer all turned to the source of the voice and saw Kie'sel eagerly making her way through the crowded terminal area towards them, her face sporting a wide grin. Following close behind her was a young kitten, who to Jason looked about 12 or 13. His body was thin and lithe, the kind Jason could imagine growing into a track runner or soccer player someday. This feeling was reinforced by the boy's clothing, a thin white t-shirt, black gym shorts, and sneakers. His fur was of a similar pattern to Fisk's, except his main color was a dark grey and his secondary color a deep black.

As the pair grew closer Jason's interest was called to the boy's eyes; the left was a stormy grey, the right a deep forest green. Before he had a chance to take in anything else the two were with them, and Kie'sel began talking.

"I would like to introduce to all of you Zane Jenkinss, Dr. Jenkinss' son."

Jason watched distantly as the boy identified as Zane greeted Angela and Dalfer, before turning to look at him. Their eyes met, and Jason suddenly found himself the target of Zane's curiosity.

"Oh wow, what's with the jaw?"

While everyone else flinched at the bluntness of the boy's question, while Jason merely felt a small tug at the corners of his lips. "I lost it in a fight."

Zane arched an eyebrow in interest. "Has anyone told you that you sound like Optimus Prime?"

Jason regarded the annoying boy for a moment more before looking up to an embarrassed Kie'sel. "I thought it was Dr. Jenkins who was going to be meeting us at the airport, not her impudent brat."

"Jason!"

Jason ignored Angela's disapproving tone, while Zane just shrugged and smirked. "Mom's meeting ran late, so she sent me in her place. You'll be meeting with her for lunch instead. Now come on **Wheelchair Prime**, our ride's waiting in the parking lot."

As the child turned away and began walking towards the exit, followed closely by a frowning Kie'sel, different thoughts ran through the minds of Jason, Angela, and Dalfer as they followed.

"_The boy's gotta hell of a mouth on him."_

"_I'd better have some words with that boy's parents, and soon."_

…_heheh, I think I like that brat."_

_//////////////////////////////_

Germany, Jason decided as he was wheeled into the Greek-styled restaurant, was most definitely **not** the United States, and he meant that in the best way possible. It felt older than his home country; more weathered, more tested by the tempers of the world. The people felt different than his own countrymen; they had a sense of purpose, of responsibility to them that was lacking in the more individualistic Americans. They were just as free, but in a different way that exhilarated Jason.

As Angela pushed his chair along, following Zane and Kie'sel and followed in turn by Mr. Dalfer, the Bat leaned down to quietly speak to Jason. "Jason, please, don't upset Dr. Jenkins during the meal. She was courteous enough to send someone to pick us up even when she couldn't make it."

Jason snorted and kept his eyes forward. "If she's anything like her son, she'll have ticked me off long before I tick her off."

Before either could continue the conversation their attention was drawn back to Zane as he suddenly broke into a run towards a table near the back of the restaurant. Jason watched in mild interest as from the table a Hyena with shoulder-length black locks and dressed in a light-fitting business suit stood up and scooped Zane into her arms, smiling brightly as he began speaking a mild a minute at her.

Behind him, Jason felt Angela stop pushing his chair, apparently unwilling to interrupt the obvious family moment. Jason silently agreed. As the woman smiled and nodded as Zane continued to speak, Jason found himself feeling a stab of envy towards the boy.

"_Is that what it looks like to have an attentive mother?"_

Jason knew he wasn't the smartest around, but he had his moments. He understood it was utterly ridiculous to feel jealous towards a 13 year old boy, and he did his best to crush the feeling. Some of it still lingered though, even as the mother and son finished conversing and the woman turned to smile at Jason.

"Hello Mr. Black, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Shanikwa Jenkins; but please, call me Nikki."

"The pleasure is mine, Dr. Jenkins." Jason pulled a chair away from the table, allowing Angela to push his wheel chair into its place. The whole group took several seconds to situate themselves around the rectangular table, finally settling on Angela in the spot to his left, Nikki sitting across from him on the other side of the table, her son sitting to her right across from Angela, Kie'sel sitting between Angela and Zane, and Dalfer sitting at the end of the table between Jason and Nikki.

After everyone had taken turns ordering their food and were waiting for it to arrive, Nikki looked at Jason curiously. "I'm glad that you came here Mr. Black, but I gotta say I'm surprised. The first report from Kie'sel said that you'd completely dismissed the offer. What made you change your mind?"

Jason kept his eyes averted from Nikki as he pondered the question silently. He felt Angela discretely entwine her hand with his under the table and squeeze softly, but made no sign of acknowledgment. "Things…change. You can learn a lot in a couple days."

Jason said no more, and after several more seconds Nikki shrugged and dropped it. "Well, what matters is that you eventually accepted." This got nods from all at the table, as Angela decided to join the conversation.

"So, Dr. Jenkins-"

"Please, call me Nikki."

Angela blushed lightly at the amused smile on the Hyena's face, but complied. "Okay then, Nikki. I was just curious on how Jason's treatment will proceed."

"Ah, a good question." Nikki took a sip of her water to wet her lips. "Well, the problem with Jason is that the muscles and nerves in his legs aren't receiving his brain's commands; not actually knowing the details of the accident, I can only guess that his body was subjected to an immense level of electromagnetic energy that disrupted the connection between his electrical synapses in his lower spine." Here she turned to look at Jason directly. "My treatment will theoretically reestablish those lost connections."

"I…see." Jason didn't really, but there was no real reason to admit that, was there? After all, none of them seemed to notice-

"You know he doesn't really get it, right mom?"

Jason felt the beginnings of a headache as the young Zane joined the conversation. Turning his head slightly to look at Angela he recognized her to be in a similar situation.

Nikki turned her attention to Zane and spoke evenly. "Now son, that's no way to talk about someone and you know it." Turning away she focused her attention on her guests and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for any offense my son's behavior has caused. His school lost a game the other day and he's been in a foul mood ever since."

Jason remained silent, seemingly lost in thought, so Angela responded. "It's all right, don't worry about it. I'm guessing he learned his manners from his father?"

The change was so sudden, so pronounced, to Jason it seemed as if a switch had been flipped at the table. The boyish smirk on Zane's face dropped into a sullen scowl. Kie'sel made the excuse of needing to use the restroom and seemed to disappear.

Nikki's eyes, which had formerly been on Angela, unfocused; as if they was seeing some other place, in a different time than that moment. "Zane's father…had a different life to live."

Uneasiness reigned at the table, even after the food arrived and they began to eat. Even after the meal, as they were leaving and Nikki was handing to Angela the treatment schedule, Jason couldn't drag his mind from the memory of Zane's face, and the emotion clear to see for those looking.

The boy was lonely.

//////////////////////////////

"…five weeks…I can't believe it…"

Looking up from where she had been tucking Constantine into the crib the hotel had provided, Angela fixed a curious look onto her boyfriend. "You can't believe what?"

Jason allowed the piece of paper detailing his schedule slip from his fingers, settling forgotten onto the beige carpet as he looked out the window at the city. Behind him, Angela quickly placed a goodnight kiss on her son's forehead and left his side, moving to Jason's side and looking out the window as well. It was a beautiful sight, to be sure. Though the window faced to the west, the sun had long since set; instead the night was illuminated by the hundreds and thousands of city lights, vehicle lights, and lights from beyond windows, igniting the city in an ethereal glow.

For many minutes Angela stood by Jason's side, implicitly trusting that he would talk when he was ready. Eventually, Jason turned his scarlet gaze to her.

"Five weeks…is how long Nikki thinks the treatments will take. It just seems…so long…"

Jason drifted off into silence and his own thoughts, before suddenly having Angela take his hand and place it against her belly. "Well you have something to work for, don't you Jason?"

Jason looked with uncertain eyes for a heartbeat of a second, before letting a ghost of a smile grace his face. "Yeah, I guess I do. It's so strange; the thought me, being a…a…"

"A father" Angela finished for him, matching his smile with one of her own. Their fingers intertwined, pink and red eyes locked together as the couple shared in this most intimate of moments. In that ephemeral time, neither thought of White, or Dr. Amedeo, or Deva, or any of their lost friends. All that existed to them was each other, and the living symbol of love growing within the female's womb.

After what felt like an eternity, yet at the same time wasn't anything like long enough, Jason reluctantly pulled his hand free from Angela's. Seeing her hurt look, he merely motioned with his head towards their room's bed, earning a smile and nod from her. Soon both were beneath the sheets and within each other's embrace. Idly running his fingers through her silken white hair, Jason spoke softly into his love's ear as the pair drifted into sleep.

"For you…and for our unborn child…I will try to walk again."

//////////////////////////////

A/N: So, what did y'all think? Was anyone expecting the return of Nikki, Better Days' second most under-used character? Tell me what ya thought in review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the webcomics Better Days and Original Life; nor do I own the characters found in them. I make no monetary gain from this writing.

A/N: Yo, folks, time for another update! As has been said in previous chapters:

_Italics represents thoughts, dreams, and recordings…_

Underlined represents any language other than English…

[Boxed in represents the words of a person on the other end of a phone, radio, etc…]

**Bold represents special emphasis put on words.**

Warning: this chapter contains scenes of graphic bodily mutilation. If this would disturb you too much…too bad. :3

**The Chronicles of Jason**

From the Ashes: Chapter 3

/

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft, sad tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly stopped walking and looked up, dull red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty _wasteland_, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers. "I don't want…"_

_A sharp wind tore through the mindscape, ripping across Jason's exposed body like a thousand knives. His lips opened in a silent scream as he clutched feebly at where his right arm used to be, crying as his hand felt only a bloody, torn up stump. His knees gave out, sending the quivering mess of a kitten to the ground. He instinctively curled into a ball, remaining hand clamped down on his shoulder-stump feebly._

"_WAAAAAAH!"_

_Jason's head shot up at the noise, his torn ears perked up in confusion as he found himself staring at a small wooden crib several yards away. Another cry rang out from it; hesitatingly Jason struggled to his feet, gasping in pain as he began to stumble his way over to the abandoned crib. Each halting step he took towards the crib felt heavier and heavier, as if a great will was striving against him. The world had gone deathly silent, the still-falling rain like a soundless scream as it surrounded Jason's struggling form. The crib too was silenced, no more cries coming from within it._

_After what felt like an eternity, yet at the same time wasn't anything like long enough, Jason reached the crib._

"_Who, who's there?" Jason grabbed the edge of the top of the crib and grunted as he lifted his body up to look inside, ignoring the sense of dread welling up within his body. "Who's…oh God. Oh God!"_

_Within the crib lay a small baby body, a bare kitten with swirls of black and white for fur. Jason felt like puking as he looked at the creature's eyes, bloody red and three times the size they should have been. Blood ran from the eye sockets in rivulets, pouring into its open mouth where it formed into a sickening pool._

"_**Father."**_

_Jason let loose a scream of terror as the creature spoke this one word. The baby slowly climbed to its feet, glaring at Jason gleefully with its horrific eyes. A sickening crunching and stretching sound filled the air, Jason watching in horror as what looked like thick tentacles squirmed beneath the skin and fur of the baby's left arm. Suddenly the limb split apart, a mechanical arm white as bone in its place. Crying out in shock Jason lost his grip and fell backwards, landing hard on the muddy ground. His eyes shot back up to the crib, where he saw the creature slowly climbing out as more changes began to occur._

"_**Father!"**_

"_No…no…no…" _

_The creature fell to the ground as its feet burst, mechanical claws, like a bird's, digging into the ground. It bent forward as it began to stalk forward towards him, a cracking sound being heard as its spine elongated, pushing up from its bare back._

"_**Father!"**_

_Its gut distended, and then ripped open as metallic ribs pushed through, showering the whimpering Jason in blood and gore. With a lunge the beast grabbed Jason's left ankle, crushing the bone in its grip as it slowly dragged the screaming and sobbing boy back to it. Its mouth opened wide in a mockery of a smile, revealing rows and rows of shark-like teeth. A white armor-like carapace covered its body as it brought Jason up to face level._

"_**Like father, like son!"**_

_Jason screamed as he felt the creature's jaws bury into him._

/

Her slim boots clacking on the decking, Asura strode into the conference room, a princess' grace in each step. Her knee-high red leather boots and ankle-length velvet dress added to the image of royalty, something not helped at all by her three-person armed entourage that followed her every step.

Asura looked around, taking in the grey metal walls, black circular meeting table in the room's center, the seven high-backed chairs surrounding the table, and the tall Cougar sitting on the side of the table across from her.

"You summoned me, Otou-san?"

White's eyes looked up from the report he was reading, before he set the data pad down and stood up from his seat. "Ah, Asura, thank you for joining me." Circling around the table he gave his daughter a warm hug, before looking at the trio of guards and frowning. "Leave us." The guards complied and marched out. Once they were gone Asura smiled at her father.

"What may I do for you, Daddy?"

Chuckling softly White reached up and slowly caressed his daughter's right cheek. "That can wait for the time being. For now I would like to ask how you are feeling. How are you adjusting to your new eye?"

The slight touch and soft words brought back painful memories to the young woman's mind. Memories of how that bitch Angela had attacked her, beaten her face in until the bone broke and she died choking on her own blood. Frowning, Asura brought her own hand up and ran it over the scars circling around her right eye socket. Several shards of bone had ripped and torn into her right eye, causing Dr. Amedeo to have to replace it when he brought her back.

As she rubbed over the scars, her gold-yellow eye, the new one, narrowed to where it looked like she was glaring with one eye. Her original ocean-blue eye soon followed suit, as Asura felt something indescribable, like pain but strangely confusing, settle into her gut. "The next time I run into that bitch, I'm not gonna waste my time trying to talk."

"Such a time may be sooner than you think." At Asura's questioning look White turned away and walked back to the data pad, motioning for Asura to follow him. Picking the computer tablet up he tossed it to her and began talking. "At approximately 0945 hours yesterday Mr. Green's intelligence network detected my son Jason, Ms. Faunt, her son, their shared butler, and an unidentified woman arriving by plane to Germany. They were later observed to be meeting with a Hyena identified as Doctor Jenkins, the famous surgeon."

White stopped speaking and watched his daughter as she finished reading and set the tablet back onto the table.

"So…" White could almost see the gears grinding in his daughter's head. "…they're hoping that this 'Nikki' can help Onee-san walk again?" At her father's nod she continued. "Then you want me to go and make sure she doesn't?"

"Not exactly." White waved his mechanical arm over the table; a small compartment opened up in the center of the table, from which was projected a highly-detailed map of Europe. White reached into the hologram and tapped Germany, causing it to light up a bright green and for a list of high-interest persons to scroll through it. "Your official mission is to travel to Germany and observe Jason's progress. This is what Mr. Green and the rest of the Gestalt believe your mission to be. **My **mission for you however, is to go and observe Mr. Green himself.

Asura's eyes were wide as she turned to look at him curiously. "The European sector commander? What has he done, daddy?"

Wiping the Europe hologram away, before bringing up one of a feminine-looking Fox dressed in a forest-green suit, White looked at it and frowned. "In the weeks since I recruited him he has proven to be an unfortunately-poor choice for the position. Power and influence seem to have made his mental instability accelerate. I want you to watch and, if needed, eliminate him."

White wiped the hologram away and turned to fully face Asura. "Go my daughter. Perform your mission."

With a slight bow Asura turned to leave the room to pack. Just in the doorway however she turned to her father and commander. "Daddy, what do I do if Onee-san **does** walk again?"

White regarded her for a moment, thinking, before turning to sit back in his seat. "If that event occurs, take the proper steps to insure that, just like Mr. Green, he will act **according to plan**. Now, go."

As Asura left to go prepare for her trip, White leaned back in an almost-relaxed manner into his straight-back seat. Seconds passed before he slowly lifted his mechanical limb up and pointed the palm at the computer tablet. A thrumming sound could be heard, and then the piece of metal and plastic shot off the table and slammed against the palm as if dragged there by a magnet.

"What must I do…" White flipped the tablet around and pressed a button, bringing up a live satellite feed of Berlin. "…to show the lesser their place?"

/

"Okay, I don't know what the hell you were thinking, bringing that man to my attention. Did you not expect me to notice?"

Pacing back and forth behind her office's small oak desk, Nikki practically growled out her words. The meal yesterday had left her incredibly shaken, to the point she'd even had Kie'sel take Zane to school instead so that she'd have more time to sort everything out. And so she paced back and forth behind her desk, viciously chewing out the man responsible for all this in the first place.

"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? Jeez, I don't even understand what it is you're getting so worked up over. Jason's Jason, he'll be fine."

Stopping mid-step Nikki whirled around to glare at the man leisurely sitting sprawled on her office's couch. Her stormy grey eyes locked with his emerald green as her lips turned down in a frown. "You're only saying that because you can't recognize the damage he's suffered. The damage he's still suffering, affecting every decision he makes. But I **do** recognize it, because I've gone through the exact same things I bet he has."

As she finished speaking Nikki noticed a bit of the confident light slip from those emerald eyes. "When you say, the things you've been through…do you mean..?"

Nikki nodded once, and quickly sat down in her black leather chair as a sudden wave of bad memories pass through her. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. And it won't matter how much I fix the man's body, if the man himself stays broken. And if I don't, who will?"

Her companion slowly sat up into a sitting position, before standing and moving over to the door on the opposite side of the room, behind Nikki's desk. "If that's the case, do what you feel you have to. But please, help him. I…I don't need another Carlos on my conscience."

Nikki let a sad smile creep onto her face as her visitor left through her office's back exit. "And here I was thinking you didn't believe in consciences…"

Minutes later a knocking came from the main door across from Nikki and her desk. She quickly straightened up in her chair, combing her hair with a hand quickly before granting the new arrival entrance. It was Jason getting pushed along by Dalfer.

"Ah, Jason, right on time!" Standing up from her chair Nikki walked around her desk towards the pair. "I hope you had a good night's rest?"

Jason shrugged noncommittally, reaching a hand up to rub beneath his eyes. "Ehh…bad dreams. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Nikki frowned at Jason's glibness, but decided not to press him and instead turned to the other arrival. "And Mr. Dalfer, how are you this morning?"

The Dog beamed at her. "I'm doing quite well, Ma'am. Now then," he went on, looking down at his employer. "If neither of you will be needing me, I feel like a nice cup of coffee would be nice right about now."

Jason shrugged indifferently. "Sure, knock yourself out."

A pained expression passed over the old Dog's face, going seemingly unnoticed by Jason's downward-looking eyes. Without another word Dalfer turned and exited from the room, leaving Jason alone with Nikki in her office.

Nikki felt the frown on her face deepen. The last night Jason hadn't seemed nearly so cold and distant from others, something that had both pleased and confused her. It pleased her in that it meant he wasn't quite as far from being mentally stable as their mutual friend had told her. It confused her for the exact same reason. But now, he was even worse than she'd been told. Those must have been some really bad dreams.

Shaking these thoughts from her head, Nikki forced herself into a smile as she walked around and took hold of the wheelchair's handles. "Well, I'm sure you can't wait to walk again, so let's get started." Pushing Jason across the room and through the back door, Nikki began going into detail on what they would be doing as they worked their way through a vaguely hospital-like hall. "The procedure, as I'm assuming you read in the paper I gave you last night, will be lasting several weeks, depending on how well your body reacts to it. Every day we'll be meeting here for two hours of the physical treatment, broken up into two one-hour segments by a solid hour of mental recuperation."

Jason's head, formerly hanging low, lifted up at this. "Mental what!"

Nikki flinched at the slightly accusing edge in Jason's voice, while mentally kicking herself for not wording it in a gentler way. "I'm sorry, I could have worded that better. All it will be is the two of us…well, just talking. Emotional wellbeing is essential to proper reaction to the procedure, as the chemical balance speeds it up."

Finished with her explanation, Nikki continued on pushing Jason in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts. Arriving to a steel door, Nikki stepped around Jason's chair for a moment to press her hand to a scanner. The door slid open to reveal a large and mostly spacious room; a few floor-to-ceiling mirrors lined the wall opposite the door, and in the area to the left of the door were several mats and racks.

Jason's gaze though was drawn to a long, rectangular table in the center of the room; its edges were folded slightly along the length, raising them a few inches higher than the flat center. Several metallic straps crisscrossed where a person's ribs would be, while a thin metallic cylinder was partially embedded in the center of the slab running lengthwise from it to a refrigerator-sized machine positioned near the headrest. The part of the cylinder that wasn't embedded in the table was flexible, and looked like it could be made to fit in where the spine curved in.

Nikki smiled at Jason's apparent interest and began pushing him towards the slab. "Well, let's get to work."

/

A/N: Tell me what y'all think in your reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the webcomics Better Days and Original Life; nor do I own the characters found in them. I make no monetary gain from this writing.

A/N: Yo, folks, time for another update! As has been said in previous chapters:

_Italics represents thoughts, dreams, and recordings…_

Underlined represents any language other than English…

[Boxed in represents the words of a person on the other end of a phone, radio, etc…]

**Bold represents special emphasis put on words.**

**The Chronicles of Jason**

From the Ashes: Chapter 4

/

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft, sad tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly stopped walking and looked up, dull red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty wasteland, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers._

"_No…please…" Jason curled up into a ball, hiding his face behind broken, mangled arms. The water rose up to half-way up his shins and stayed there, as his small body was wracked by terrible, agonizing shudders. His hands clenched at his hair, the pounding of the rain drowning out any sound as it fell onto his form, the slashes and cuts turning the water an angry red._

"_I don't…want to be…alone…"_

/

Slowly cracking his eyes open into barely slits, Jason ignored the thrumming sound in his ear and wondered for a moment what had happened. The last thing he could remember was getting strapped into Nikki's machine, and then…

"…nothing…"

Tilting his head to the left at a sudden noise, Jason found himself still strapped into the machine, and looking into the very startled eyes of a very startled Hyena. The noise he had heard was her dropping what he guessed to be his medical chart.

"This isn't supposed to be possible…"

This immediately caught Jason's attention, as he lifted his head up to look her in the face. "What? What's not possible?"

Nikki took a few seconds to respond, and when she did, Jason could practically taste the confusion in her voice. "No one has ever regained consciousness while the machine was on. This is…unprecedented. And then, while you were out…" She turned to a computer screen and entered a command, before turning it to show to Jason a wildly fluctuating graph. "Higher level brain functions were far higher than normal for people in REM sleep; hell, higher than normal for most **conscious** people for that matter."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Jason nevertheless shrugged and looked back up at the ceiling. "Bad dreams I guess…" Ignoring the look sent his way Jason began focusing on his own body. Having been put unconscious before the machine was activated, the sharp electrical discharges from the cylinder running along even with his spine first caught his attention. Far from hurting though, Jason felt as if the electricity was charging him, making him able to fight or jump or…

"R-run..."

"I'm afraid not Mr. Black. It'll take quite a few more sessions before you can start thinking about doing that." Standing up from her seat Nikki flipped a switch, instantly killing off the energy Jason felt running through him. "But, seeing as you're all nice and awake, I suppose now would be as good a time as any for some nice, recuperative talking."

Trying to ignore the sudden wave of disappointment at the loss of energy, Jason scoffed and looked away from the Hyena as she unbuckled him from the slab and lifted him into her arms, which he couldn't help but notice were surprisingly muscled. "Whatever. Let me guess, you want me to talk about my childhood or some shit like that?"

"Not really; talk about what you want to talk about." Setting Jason down with a huff into his wheelchair, Nikki pulled up a chair for herself and sat down. "Please don't think of me as just some shrink trying to get into your head. I want to understand you. I want to know you pain, and relate to it. You don't have to hold it in anymore, it can't last forever."

"…" Jason averted his eyes away from Nikki, looking down at his lap as he rolled her words in his head like a taster would swirl wine in their mouth. And then, just as a taster will do when down with the wine, he spit them out. "Hiding's worked out pretty well for me so far…"

"Says the guy with one arm and two useless legs."

Suddenly, Jason growled threateningly and glared at her. "Fuck off. I've been through more shit than you could ever understand; I think I've earned some privacy."

Slightly taken aback by the sudden aggressiveness, Nikki's ears folded back against her head as she stared back into Jason's glare sadly. "I may not know what you've had to go through in your life, Mr. Black, but I do understand suffering. Everyone suffers, Black, in one way or another; and no amount gives you the right to act like an asshole. It's how you use the hand you're dealt with that matters."

As Nikki spoke, Jason's glare slowly softened, her words getting uncomfortably close to how he would expect Fisk to treat him, if the older male would bother talking to him. Once Nikki finished Jason's gaze dropped back down to his lap, his single hand clenching and unclenching. "I…I'm not used to this. Talking about my…feelings. No one except my girlfriend Angela has ever bothered to ask. Well, her…and…"

"And…who?"

Jason frowned. "My cousin, Fisk. He used to ask how I felt. Used to; now he doesn't even bother to talk to me. I…I don't blame him, I-" Jason was abruptly stopped by Nikki as she handed him a napkin to wipe away the tears he hadn't even noticed welling up in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. If it's too hard for you to talk about at the moment, let's just move on to something else." At Jason's hesitant nod she smiled and nodded back. "Just remember, we can talk about whatever you want." Jason nodded again, less hesitantly this time.

"Thank you…I suppose you don't really know much about me, other than just what was in my medical charts?" At her shaking head he sighed. "Okay then; I guess that's the place to really begin. My full name is Jason Velon Black. I just turned 30 a few months ago. I was born and raised in Chicago, but now I live in a penthouse in the D.C. area. Um…oh, uh, my favorite kink is pegging." Jason grinned savagely and laughed as Nikki blushed in embarrassment at this. "What's wrong Jenkins, I thought you wanted to know about me?"

Continuing to blush red like a tomato, Nikki looked away, making Jason laugh harder. After a few seconds Nikki partially regained her composure and turned back to the grinning Cat. "While I do, I uh…think it might be best if you kept stuff like that to…to yourself."

Jason's grin faded somewhat, turning into a tight-lipped smirk as he looked away from Nikki and towards the mirrors set into the nearby wall. When he spoke it came out hushed, and icy cold. "Yes…it might be best. What should I tell you then, hm? What is it you want to know? How I've never felt like I've lived up to anyone's expectations? How my brother treated me like a stepping stool, how my father regarded me as a waste of resources, and my mother looked at me with ashamed eyes? Is that perhaps the cliché, unrealistic drivel you wanna hear from me? You wanna hear what my family thought about me?"

Nikki stared at her reflection in the mirror as she sought for the right words to respond with. Her eyes flickered briefly to how the Cat seemed so intensely focused on his reflection, and she knew she had it.

"Actually, I was hoping to hear what **you** think about you."

Jason felt his heart skip a beat as these words left the Hyena's mouth. Whipping his head away from his reflection he stared at her in confusion. His mouth opened, then, closed, then opened, and then closed once more. Finally after nearly a minute of blank staring he gathered enough of his scattered wits to respond. "You…what?"

"You heard me just fine the first time. How do you feel about yourself? It's not that hard a question, anyone can answer it."

"I…I…" Jason shut his mouth and looked down at his lap. He vainly tried to quiet his raging thoughts by focusing on his single remaining hand as he clenched and unclenched it, the joints lightly popping as they were worked. This brought to mind a memory of when he had sat on an operating table and tested his robotic limb, the memory of the almost-noiseless servos and gleaming metal bringing a ghost of a smile to Jason's face. Focusing on that memory of when he'd seemed to have everything going his way, keeping it close to mind, Jason finally managed to get his thoughts back under control. He kept his eyes focused on his fist as he spoke, barely heeding his own voice.

"I…am a very, very broken person. I've failed so many people…in so many ways…" In his heart, Jason felt as if a damn was breaking, and he was being swept up in the unleashed torrent of emotions. Later he would wonder why he had felt so able to relate to this near-stranger, but at that moment all he could stand to do was sit there in his wheelchair and talk, and hope Nikki would listen.

"Ever since I was a young child I knew something was wrong. I could never do anything right, no matter how hard I tried. I used to ask myself, why could I never please anyone? Why could I never make my loved ones happy, when that was all I wanted? Don't I deserve that much! Why can't I get it!" By this point Jason was shouting, his bass voice shaking the nearby mirrors nearly to the breaking point as he screamed out his frustration. "I just want my loved ones to be happy, and I suffer for it! What makes **me bad?**"

"Mr.…Black!"

"**I hate this, all of it! I'm tired of loving people who don't give a fuck about me!"**

"Mr. Black, pl-please!"

"**Is it my father's fault? Is that it! Is my entire life just divine punishment from God! IT'S NOT FAIR!"**

"J-Jason...st-stop…"

At these panicked words, Jason felt the dark grasp of his fury lessen its grip on his heart. His vision, which he hadn't even realized had gone a hazy red, cleared, and he found himself looking down at a Nikki. The Hyena was struggling and gasping for air, her panicked hands pulling at Jason's single hand, trying to get it from around her throat. His eyes widened and he instantly let her go, stepping back as she fell to the floor wheezing.

"_Wait…stepped back?"_

Jason looked down to find himself standing up, his legs shaking from the effort. The shaking quickly spread to the rest of Jason, as his eyes slid from himself over to Nikki's unmoving form.

"Ms. Jenkins?"

He received no response. Jason's heartbeat began to slow as fear crept into his heart, squeezing it in its icy grip.

"Ms. Jenkins…Nikki?" He tried taking a step forward, before suddenly his legs weakened and buckled, sending him collapsing to the floor. His head hit Nikki's wooden chair with a crack, instantly sending Jason into the world of the unconscious. The last thing he heard was the sound of his own blood rushing to his head.

/

"Hite-hime, I must ask if this particular course of action is…a good idea. Afterall, you have already had three shots."

Turning away from the airplane's viewport, Asura looked at the concerned face of the captain of her security force, Captain Duncan Marshall. The massive Clydesdale was dressed in the standard-issue Gestalt trooper combat uniform. The base of the outfit was a sealed black body glove, composed of two layers of non-conducting materials. Embedded between these two layers was electrically charged webbing, the charge being manually changeable to either increase or decrease the wearer's body temperature in response to different weather conditions.

Over this body suit were 20 black form-fitted ceramic armor plates, covering the chest, gut, groin, thighs, shins, upper back, elbows, and forearms. In addition to this, as a commanding officer Duncan wore a pure white pauldron on his right shoulder, from which hung a knee-length cape, silvery-white to denote his rank as captain.

At that time however, the Horse felt his rank was less than useless as Asura simply waved him away and grabbed another syringe from the case in the seat beside her. The hypodermic was filled with a bright, almost neon-green liquid.

"Go…go away, Marshall…I'm not in the mood…"

Asura aimed the syringe at a vein, but before she could push the needle in Duncan leaned forward and grabbed her wrist. "Hite-Hime…Asura, please stop. If you keep taking the drug at this rate it will kill you. Or worse!"

She growled and tried to pull her arm away, but the Horse continued to hold on. Snapping her eyes up to look at him she glared, although the effect was somewhat lost by the glazed, slightly vacant look in the two orbs. "I…I don't wanna…" Duncan kneeled down beside her so that they were eye-level, his expression changing from that of a concerned subordinate to a concerned friend as he got a closer look at her features.

"Asura, how long has it been since you slept?" Now that he was practically in her face, Duncan could see beneath the makeup Asura wore and notice the grey/black bags forming beneath her eyes. Reaching out he tried to touch one, but Asura angrily batted his hand away.

"Damn it Marshall, mind your own damn business! If you want to help, get me more of this stimulant before I keel over!"

Duncan took a step back, and then another, before nodding and turning to leave the plane's passenger cabin. "Very well then Hite-Hime. If that is an order, than I must obey it. I'll have three cases shipped to our Berlin facility immediately."

With that Duncan shut the cabin door, leaving Asura alone with her drugs. For several moments she glared at the door, half-expecting it to open and for her bodyguard to once-more begin scolding her, but it didn't happen. Snorting in annoyance she realigned the syringe in her hand with the correct spot and shoved it in roughly, gasping in pain as the stimulants flooded her system. Her back arched, shoving her chest forward and up as a charge seemed to crackle down her spine, tearing through her muscles and setting her nerves on fire.

"Aaa…aahhh!" Asura's eyes shot open, gold and blue irises burning as she slowly relaxed back into her seat.

"Huff…huff…oh God…" Flexing her arms up and over her head, she purred happily as the exhaustion that had been creeping in, engulfing the edges of her consciousness was burned away like kindling in a brushfire. She felt renewed, rejuvenated, and most importantly free of the thoughts and memories that had been plaguing her dreams for the last two and a half months. Ever since...

"My resurrection…" Now that she was refreshed, in a brightly-lit cabin far up in the air and away from any kind of danger, Asura couldn't help but to ponder over her recent night-terrors. The nightmares, more like memories she would think to herself at particularly-weak and tired moments, were filled with horrific images and sounds; red, hot blood splashing onto her naked body and burning; wheels of stone slowly grinding her spread limbs into dust; searing hot barbed wire wrapping around her neck and twisting, digging into her neck deeper and deeper before finally snapping it off; and all the while cruel, echoing laughter that came close to drowning out her shrieks of pain.

Shuddering to herself, Asura stood up from her seat and strode down to the end of the aisle opposite the door the Commander had left through. Situated there in an alcove was a small refrigerator, and on a shelf above that a microwave. Next to the microwave was a small stack of Miso Ramen cups.

Opening one of the cups and pouring in water to the fill line, Asura set it into the microwave and set the timer, before crouching down and grabbing a can of C.C. Lemon soda from the fridge. Popping the can open she leaned back against the cabin wall and took a long drink, swirling the lemony liquid around in her mouth for a moment before swallowing with a sigh.

As she waited on her food her mind wandered away from the memories of her nightmares and to what she'd been thinking about before Duncan had talked to her.

Jason Black; the brother she never knew she had.

The night of her revival, her father had taken her aside and revealed the truth to her; of how Jason was the result of a one-night stand between a 16 year old William Hite and 23 year old Velona Black, the sister of James Black; of how he had only found this out himself after Dr. Amedeo had run some tests on retrieved blood samples from Jason; and finally, of how the truth had sent Jason into shocked denial. She'd felt tears form in her eyes when she heard of what her father had done to him, and it wasn't until she'd been told that Deva had brought him back just as she'd been that she managed to get past it.

Hearing the microwave ding Asura got her food out and grabbed a fork, before making her way back to her seat. Taking it she quit thinking on such depressing subjects and began eating, content to let the flavor of the noodles drown out one, lingering thought in the back of her mind.

Why, why oh why did Jason turn from his family…from her?

/

A/N: Hey everybody. This chapter was written the same day I saw the series finale to LOST. Just in case anyone's curious…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the webcomics Better Days and Original Life; nor do I own the characters found in them. I make no monetary gain from this writing.

A/N: Yo, folks, time for another update! As has been said in previous chapters:

_Italics represents thoughts, dreams, and recordings…_

Underlined represents any language other than English…

[Boxed in represents the words of a person on the other end of a phone, radio, etc…]

**Bold represents special emphasis put on words.**

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 5

**/**

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft, sad tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly stopped walking and looked up, dull red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty _wasteland_, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers. "I don't want…"_

_A sharp wind tore through the mindscape, ripping across Jason's exposed body like a thousand knives. His lips opened in a silent scream as he clutched feebly at where his right arm used to be, crying as his hand felt only a bloody, torn up stump. His knees gave out, sending the quivering mess of a kitten to the ground. He instinctively curled into a ball, remaining hand clamped down on his shoulder-stump feebly._

"_WAAAAAAH!"_

_Jason's head shot up at the noise, his torn ears perked up in confusion as he found himself staring at a small wooden crib several yards away. Another cry rang out from it; hesitatingly Jason struggled to his feet, gasping in pain as he began to stumble his way over to the abandoned crib. Each halting step he took towards the crib felt heavier and heavier, as if a great will was striving against him. The world had gone deathly silent, the still-falling rain like a soundless scream as it surrounded Jason's struggling form. The crib too was silenced, no more cries coming from within it._

_After what felt like an eternity, yet at the same time wasn't anything like long enough, Jason reached the crib._

"_Who, who's there?" Jason grabbed the edge of the top of the crib and grunted as he lifted his body up to look inside, ignoring the sense of dread welling up within his body. "Who's…oh God. Oh God!"_

_Within the crib lay a small baby body, a bare kitten with swirls of black and white for fur. Jason felt like puking as he looked at the creature's eyes, bloody red and three times the size they should have been. Blood ran from the eye sockets in rivulets, pouring into its open mouth where it formed into a sickening pool._

"_**Father."**_

_Jason let loose a scream of terror as the creature spoke this one word. The creature slowly climbed to its feet, glaring at Jason gleefully with its horrific eyes. A sickening crunching and stretching sound filled the air, Jason watching in horror as what looked like thick tentacles squirmed beneath the skin and fur of the baby's left arm. Suddenly the limb split apart, a mechanical arm white as bone in its place. Crying out in shock Jason lost his grip and fell backwards, landing hard on the muddy ground. His eyes shot back up to the crib, where he saw the creature slowly climbing out as more changes began to occur._

"_**Father!"**_

"_No…no…no…" _

_The creature fell to the ground as its feet burst, mechanical claws, like a bird's, digging into the ground. It bent forward as it began to stalk forward towards him, a cracking sound being heard as its spine elongated, pushing up from its bare back._

"_**Father!"**_

_Its gut distended, and then ripped open as metallic ribs pushed through, showering the whimpering Jason in blood and gore. With a lunge the beast grabbed Jason's left ankle, crushing the bone in its grip as it slowly dragged the screaming and sobbing boy back to it. Its mouth opened wide in a mockery of a smile, revealing a rows and rows of shark-like teeth. A white armor-like carapace covered its body as it brought Jason up to face level._

"_**Like father, like son!"**_

_Jason screamed as he felt the creature's jaws bury into him._**/**

At 2:00 in the afternoon Angela walked into the office to find an unconscious Jason lying on the couch, as kneeled over him Nikki expertly dressing an ugly gash on his forehead. The Bat sighed and readjusted the sleeping form of Constantine in her arms, before walking with quick strides over to stand silently beside the two. She watched the Hyena at work for a moment, before sighing a second time.

"It looks like it's going to scar."

Nikki jumped slightly as if she hadn't noticed Angela come in and turned to her. Angela noticed that her eyes were faintly red and shining, as if she had been crying recently. Judging from the state of Jason, that was more likely than she wanted. "Maybe, it's too early to tell right now. I honestly hope not though, I think he has enough scars for now…"

Angela nodded to this idly, brushing a few silver locks from her eyes before fixing them on some barely-discernable bruising on Nikki's throat. "What, may I ask, happened here? I stay in the hotel room to care for my son instead of going with my boyfriend to his appointment, and when I finally do come over he's unconscious with a bloody gash on his forehead, and you look like you came too close to strangulation for comfort. So I'll ask again; what happened between you two?"

As Angela had talked Nikki held her head lower and lower, her practiced hands going on autopilot as they finished applying the bandages to Jason's head. Once finished they fell limply to her sides as she stayed kneeling beside him; she would have been completely unreadable if not for the nervous flexing of her fingers. Whether she was deciding how to tell her, or whether or not to tell her, Angela couldn't tell. Just as she thought that the other woman would not answer at all Nikki did.

"It's complicated, psychologically. After nearly an hour of treatment with the machine, I began therapy with him. I hoped to help him work past whatever emotional issues he has, to give him a better life once he walks again." Nikki looked up to find Angela staring intently at her, pink eyes imploring her to continue. She wasn't one to disappoint. "I'm not fully sure about all this, I've only done the barest of background checks on him; but going on personal experience and memories of similar attitudes, I'd be willing enough to say he didn't have the best of childhoods. Certain comments he made about his father point towards a bad relationship between them, with a good deal of hostility towards discussing his family at all."

As Nikki spoke this last bit Angela tilted her head, eyes narrowing in curious, concerned suspicion. "You mentioned that this was all based on personal experience…what do you mean by that? Personal experience with what?"

Silence echoed through the room, as Nikki fiddled with a button on her beige shirt. "Yes, I suppose I did mention that, didn't I? Well, I don't mind telling about myself, as long as Jason stops pretending to still be unconscious."

Angela's head snapped towards Jason's form as his eyes slid open half-way, scarlet slits against a black-furred face.

"Jason, why were you pretending to still be unconscious? How long were you awake for!"

His turned his head to look at Angela. "Sorry if I worried you or anything. I woke up about when Dr. Jenkins here finished up with my head wound. I heard the way the conversation was going and didn't want to interrupt. Thought you might be able to get more out of her without me distracting you away from the topic."

Shifting Constantine to one arm Angela leaned over and smacked Jason hard across the top of his head, bringing from him a sharp yelp and a flinch.

"That was so incredibly mean of you! Did you not think that maybe I was worried about you? That I would have **liked** to hear you speak to make sure you were fine?"

On his part, Jason looked down briefly, away from Angela's irate glare. "Sorry. I didn't…didn't mean to make you worry like that. I'm just curious about what Jenkins here has to say. I mean, aren't you?"

Unable to actually say otherwise without lying, Angela simply huffed and turned away from Jason and back towards Nikki, ignoring his sigh of relief. 'Anyway, you were saying, Nikki?"

Nodding to the Bat in acknowledgement, Nikki stood up and grabbed the chair from her desk and wheeled it over, offering it first to Angela before sitting down in it herself. Angela simply dragged over the guest chair and sat down, gently laying down Constantine on the floor beside her. Once everyone was settled Nikki let a soft sigh pass between her lips, and then began, her eyes looking directly into Jason's. It was for him, afterall, that she spoke, and he who needed to hear this the most.

"This isn't something I've talked about to anyone since my psychiatrist, long ago when I was learning to function in a normal family with my foster parents. You see, I had a very, very bad father; Muhammed Al Aziz. And every night, as soon as he was able to, he would take advantage of me and my sister. Physical advantage."

Angela gasped, and Jason's eyes widened in shock. Nikki softly nodded, her eyes shut as she recalled with some difficulty the distant memories. "I know, I know. Well, the FBI was after him for reasons I was too young to know or understand back then, and have no desire to know now. Eventually, when I was 10 years old, they finally caught up with him and I was sent to a foster home to eventually be taken in and helped by the Jenkins family."

"Oh! I've heard of them!" Jason and Nikki turned to a perked-up Angela. "A real nice couple, really rich; they liked to adopt orphans as one of their many charities. My parents often contributed money to them. When my parents died, the Jenkins even offered to take me in." She blinked, as if realizing something. "Huh, small world."

Nikki chuckled and nodded. "Seems like it. Anyway, the Jenkins helped me cope with 'normal' life. It was hard; the therapy had to pretty much completely deconstruct everything my father put in place and build everything back up correctly, so that I could function in the world. It was hard; sometimes I feared that I wasn't worth all the effort…"

She went quiet for a moment, her eyes gazing off elsewhere; to some other time and place. After a second she shook her head to free herself and shrugged. "Now, when I look back at the crazy girl I was, it's like looking at a film of somebody else. I'm told that's pretty common."

The three stayed silent after she finished, each unsure how to go on from there. As she reached down to softly stroke a hand through her son's fur, Angela blinked and looked up at Nikki. "Hey, you said you had a sister, right? What happened to her?"

At the question the Hyena's eyes darkened. "I wish I could tell you. You see, my father was just about to…enjoy her, when the FBI moved in on him. She was standing right beside him when they gunned him down. After that, while we were in the state orphanage together, she withdrew deeper and deeper into herself, and further and further from other people, until she just…disappeared one day. The last I heard of her, as I was being taken to my new home, was that she was being kept in a state-run hospital for continuous treatment and watching."

Nikki's eyes closed tight. A single tear ran down from her right eye down her cheek, quickly brushed away as she regained her composure. "Well then, I hope that satisfies your curiosity, Ms. Faunt, Mr. Black. If you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up my son, he should be getting out from school soon and I need to get going."

Neither Jason nor Angela brought up that Kie'sel could easily pick up Zane in her stead, both feeling that perhaps it would be best to give the Hyena her space when she subtly asked for it. As they left, Angela pushing Jason along as he held Constantine on his arm, he looked over his shoulder towards her at her desk said some parting words.

"I'm sorry, and…thank you. For the hope of escape."

**/**

Later that evening, as Dalfer put the finishing touches on their dinner and Angela surfed through the TV's channels for adequate background noise, Jason sat in his wheelchair, the entirety of his attention focused on the object on the workbench in front of him. Bluish steel gleamed softly by the light of a lamp, reflecting smooth lines and simple but refined detailing.

When he and Angela had arrived back at their rented apartment earlier that day from the meeting with Nikki, they'd found laying in front of their door a plain black suitcase, no identifiable features except for a sticky-note attached to the top. In red ink it read:

"_From a caring acquaintance."_

Inside the case had been a masterfully built mechanical arm, identical in all respects to his original mecha-arm, except whereas that had been black and gold, this new one was black and gleaming silver in detailing. More attention-grabbing than this though where the several areas of the arm where it looked as if modifications could be made. As soon as he noticed this Jason's mind automatically began thinking of ways to do such work. Already he saw a slot he could attach the same kind of blade device he used in his vambraces. And along the bottom, what looked like a place to hook up and store a cable, or some kind of whip. The possibilities sent shivers running up and down Jason's spine. If he'd had such an arm when he'd gone over to White's side…

And that brought up another series of thoughts in his mind. Who had been the one to leave the mecha-arm? Jason had no idea who could be meant by "a caring acquaintance". Almost immediately he had ruled out anyone like Angela and Dalfer. They wouldn't have gone through the trouble of being mysterious about it. Ana was also out of the running from the start, seeing as she hated his guts. Leo, Ryan, and Fisk seemed the most likely: Leo because out of all of those involved in the "Foundry Battle", he was the only one who'd shown he still considered Jason a friend; Ryan because he was the de facto leader of the Company as well as a very intelligent person, and as the leader he would understand the concept of keeping potential enemies in good graces; and Fisk because they were family.

Although, if Jason were to be honest with himself, he didn't really feel like it had been any of them. Last he had heard, Leo had been practically sentenced to a deep-cover mission somewhere in South America for an indeterminate period of time, so probably wouldn't even know that Jason was in Germany. Ryan was, as said before, a very intelligent person, and as such would not particularly want to rearm his potential enemies. No pun intended. And Fisk's recent distancing from him was more than enough to make Jason reconsider him as a potential sender. So that left him right back where he'd started, admiring the craftsmanship of the mecha-arm as he idly wondered where it had come from.

He understood why this had so totally captured his attention of course, why he so desperately clung to the endless circle of admiring its craftsmanship and wondering who sent it; and that was because it kept him distracted from earlier. From Nikki's story, and how it made him think. Think of how his life had gone. Of how it could have been different if this had happened, or that. If he would have been able to go on if he had been in the Hyena's life instead of his own. All these questions, and more, swirled around beneath the surface of Jason's thoughts like currents in the sea, disturbed from their natural course through some terrible act of nature.

His thoughts were broken as behind him the door to the room opened. A moment later soft hands slid over his shoulders and down his chest, followed by a slight weight as Angela rest her head on top of Jason's own.

"Dalfer's got dinner ready. Angel Hair pasta, with meaty marinara and a side of garlic toast."

Looking at the limb a moment more, Jason sighed before nodding. "Okay then, thanks. Will Constantine be joining us?"

A moment of silence passed, before his sigh was echoed by her. "Not tonight, his condition was acting up so I put him to bed early. Have to conserve what little energy his body has." Lifting herself from him she took hold of his chair's handles and turned him around, her hurried, concern-filled stride quickly getting the two of them from the room and to the dining room table where Dalfer was already sitting and waiting for them.

Jason kept his gaze down as a quiet prayer was passed around the table, before the three began silently eating. Suddenly, as he thought of Constantine laying in the next room, more likely than not coughing little specks of blood onto his pillow, he felt horribly, horribly selfish.

**/**

A/N: Well…here's another chapter for your reading pleasure. Although, with that ending… I don't really know how to explain it. Ended up feeling a lot…darker, than I'd originally imagined. Eh, whatever.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of their characters. I make no money from this.

A/N: Time for another chapter, my avid readers. .

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 6

**/**

_Jason walked slowly along the sidewalk, a soft, sad tune coming from his mouth as he walked home from school. Sunlight glared down from the sky, casting shadows into sharp, unnatural relief. His short hair waved softly in the wind, every so often tickling the young Cat's ears. All around him were the sounds of children laughing, yelling, and playing._

_None of it reached him though; none of it would ever reach him. The teacher had given a surprise math test today, and so the nine year old Kitten was not in exactly the best of moods. Dull red eyes, completely lifeless, stared vacantly at the hard ground, his footsteps echoing harshly. He knew he had failed the test. He knew because he always failed the test._

_Rain began falling, first softly, but slowly increasing to the point where it became nearly a sheet. Jason slowly stopped walking and looked up, dull red eyes looking around in defeat. The sound of children and laughter had long since vanished. Around him in all directions was a bleak, empty _wasteland_, cast a dull grey by the unending rain. His tune died on his lips, as he clenched his eyes shut, terrified of it, of everything._

"_No…no…" Jason's voice echoed endlessly into the empty wastes, weak and scared. The rain fell harder, drenching him, and only then did he notice that his body was bare of any and all clothing. He began to shake, the rain hiding tears that ran down his small, cut up, bruised face like rivers. "I don't want…"_

_A sharp wind tore through the mindscape, ripping across Jason's exposed body like a thousand knives. His lips opened in a silent scream as he clutched feebly at where his right arm used to be, crying as his hand felt only a bloody, torn up stump. His knees gave out, sending the quivering mess of a kitten to the ground. He instinctively curled into a ball, remaining hand clamped down on his shoulder-stump feebly._

"_WAAAAAAH!"_

_Jason's head shot up at the noise, his torn ears perked up in confusion as he found himself staring at a small wooden crib several yards away. Another cry rang out from it; hesitatingly Jason struggled to his feet, gasping in pain as he began to stumble his way over to the abandoned crib. Each halting step he took towards the crib felt heavier and heavier, as if a great will was striving against him. The world had gone deathly silent, the still-falling rain like a soundless scream as it surrounded Jason's struggling form. The crib too was silenced, no more cries coming from within it._

_After what felt like an eternity, yet at the same time wasn't anything like long enough, Jason reached the crib._

"_Who, who's there?" Jason grabbed the edge of the top of the crib and grunted as he lifted his body up to look inside, ignoring the sense of dread welling up within his body. "Who's…oh God. Oh God!"_

_Within the crib lay a small baby body, a bare kitten with swirls of black and white for fur. Jason felt like puking as he looked at the creature's eyes, bloody red and three times the size they should have been. Blood ran from the eye sockets in rivulets, pouring into its open mouth where it formed into a sickening pool._

"_**Father."**_

_Jason let loose a scream of terror as the creature spoke this one word. The scream echoed around and within the world like an unearthly screeching, drowning out the pounding of the rain. A sudden crashing echo, like thunder, joined it, and suddenly Jason found the water world around him shattering into countless pieces, like glass, and falling away into the black abyss beyond. The creature before him disappeared with the world, flying away as if sucked into the deepest, emptiest depths of space._

_Jason stared numbly at where it had been unbelieving that it had so easily been vanquished, before slowly turning his head around in a daze. The world he found himself in now…no, that was not the right word. It was emptiness, the void beyond the world he had suffered in so many times as he slept. Deep within himself, somewhere he hadn't even known until that moment existed, Jason suddenly knew beyond a doubt that this was no longer any mere dream._

_Feeling the strangest impulse Jason looked down and screamed in terror. His mind struggled against the horror as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing._

_In this new place, __**He **__was the monster._

**/**

Jason's eyes snapped open, scarlet orbs rapidly flicking to and fro in the bright early morning sunlight. His hand shot up to clutch at the stump of his right shoulder as phantom pain flooded it, his eyes clenching shut as a whimper escaped past his lips. For a moment, as he lay panting in bed and blinded by the pain, he imagined that the wound was still fresh, that he could feel hot blood pouring over his clutching hand, as his fingers cut themselves on jaggedly broken bone…

As soon as it came the moment passed, and Jason was left panting on the bed, body shivering as he tried to calm himself back down. Suddenly his ears perked up as the sound of rustling fabric and a tired yawn caught his attention, and he turned to find pink eyes slowly opening up to look at him. Angela yawned again and blinked, before looking over Jason's stilled form at the alarm clock on the bedside table to his left.

"7:15, uugh…Jason, what are you doing up so early?"

Averting his eyes from Angela's, Jason fumbled for an answer that wouldn't make her worry. The previous night he'd laid in bed awake for hours, thinking over Nikki's story, and of the sudden outpouring of guilt he'd felt over his actions that day. Whether it was from fresh perspective gained thanks to learning about Nikki, or the thought of someone who'd gone through just as much or worse than himself he didn't know; all he knew was that something had just changed, and he couldn't allow it to change back.

"I'm, well…trying to see if I can work my legs yet. I'd managed to stand up briefly yesterday while enraged, and I was wanting to see if I could do it again." It wasn't a complete lie, Jason thought to himself. Afterall, he'd told the truth about having stood up the other day. And he did feel some curiosity about trying to do it again. So, it was the truth, just not for the question asked.

Angela seemed to sense this, as a moment later she had rolled over and onto Jason, their chests pressing together as she stared into his eyes intensely. "Jason, I'm sure you have your reasons, but please don't take me as a fool. Now tell me, what's wrong?"

Jason stared back for a moment before losing his nerve and looking away. He couldn't face her down, not like this, not with his own mind and heart against him as well. For nearly a minute he considered not answering at all, before a sharp elbow digging into his side told him that she would not take something like that well. Not that he could blame her; he wouldn't take it well either.

"I'm sorry; I just…had a nightmare, and woke up. I didn't want to worry you so I lied."

"Why would I get worried? What kind of nightmare was it to make you think that?"

"It was…a bad one, a really bad one." He stared off to the side as he tried to remember the details, the bright morning light already banishing much of them to oblivion. Even so, what he could recall was more than enough to send a cold chill down his spine. "I remember rain. Lots of rain, falling all around me in enclosing sheets. And…there was a crib there, I think, abandoned. And inside the crib was…a beast…a monster…"

Jason clenched his eyes shut, his hand once again reaching up to grip at his shoulder as pain flared up in it. Frowning, Angela rolled off of him back onto the bed for a moment, before sighing and looking over at him. "What you had was a nightmare, Jason, nothing more. The raining is your hydrophobia, and the crib with a monster inside is obviously nervousness about becoming a father soon. Don't worry about it."

Jason stayed silent a moment more, before slowly relaxing, his hand leaving his shoulder to rest at his side."I guess that makes sense. But then-" He was cut off from finishing as suddenly the doorbell rang, quickly followed by Constantine's crying and coughing as he was woken up. "-ah damn it. Who could that be…Dalfer, get the door!" Quickly placing a soft kiss on Jason's cheek Angela climbed up off the bed and slipped a sky-blue robe onto her bare form.

Jason watched her hurry out of the room, the sounds of her picking up a crying Constantine mingling with the heavy footfalls of Dalfer as the older Canine hurried to get the apartment door. He heard the door click open a bit, before swinging open more fully as the old Dog must have recognized the person or persons on the other side. He cursed his lack of mobility, only barely able to hear them at all from his position on the bed. Three voices, Dalfer's faded London accent the first identified. Another voice, lighter, younger, female he thought; radically different accent, German. Kie'sel probably, he couldn't think of anyone it could be. The final voice, not as light as Kie'sel's, but still lighter than Dalfer's. Not the same kind of lightness as a woman's, just someone younger; a boy, somewhere between 11 and 13…Zane.

At that moment Jason's train of thought was broken as the sources of the voices began moving. Jason turned his head to the foot of the bed, watching the bedroom's entranceway as the group made its way in. Beyond them, somewhere off in the apartment's kitchen area, he heard a refrigerator door open and close; Angela, getting breakfast prepared. Kie'sel began speaking first, all smiles and giggles as she waved to Jason, making her light yellow sundress flutter slightly in the breeze from the movement. "Heya Mr. Black! Good Saturday morning, ya?"

Jason grumpily turned his head and looked at the clock to see it was, indeed, Saturday. Looking back he shrugged noncommittally, already thinking he wasn't ready for so much cheer this early in the morning. "Yeah, I suppose it is. What brings the two of you here?"

Kie'sel looked to her side where Zane stepped forward and sighed. He was dressed in baggy black pants and a grey sleeveless top, with grey sandals on his feet and a bored expression on his face. "My school's boxing club is doing a tournament today in Volkspark Friedrichshain, a park. It's just a charity thing my school does, nothing to get worked up over…" He slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants and looked away from Jason at nothing, giving the perfect impression of not caring. "My mom though, for some reason wants to invite you and the Bat chick-" a sharp smack on the back of his head from Kie'sel brought a yelp from the boy and a smirk to Jason's face. Zane glared at the smirk and tried again. "She wants you and Miss Faunt to come watch. Tickets are just €2.00, no snacks provided…blah."

Zane's final word on the matter brought a humored grin to Jason's face, more so than the resulting bonk on the boy's head from his caretaker. Briefly he let his mind wander back, into the past. In Zane's place he saw himself; thinner and darker-furred, ears perked up as he waited impatiently for his name to be called to the ring. He'd also been in his school's boxing club when he was that age. The civilized combat was when he had felt the most calm, most collected. It was the time when he could best focus the emotions roiling beneath his skin to positive effect.

Looking past Zane and Kie'sel to Dalfer, Jason recognized a similar look of nostalgia on the old servant's smiling face. He then looked back down to Zane's waiting gaze.

"Sounds like fun, I'd love to go."

"Go where?" Angela shuffled into view through the doorway, Constantine happily drinking from a bottle in her arms. Jason looked up at her and grinned.

"How does the park sound hun?"

**/**

Summertime in Berlin was definitely something he could get used to, Jason thought idly to himself as he wheeled away from a water fountain and back to the tennis court that was currently serving as a makeshift fighting ring. Summer there was on average milder than where he'd grown up, a pleasant 74 °F right then, made even more pleasant by a light breeze that caressed his fur and held back any possible discomfort from the humidity. Drifting along with the wind were the sounds of a park full of life and energy. The steady rhythm of joggers' feet as they pounded away along the pathways; the laughter of children as they ran around playing games and frolicked; the loud, endless white noise of the fountain at the center of the park's swan pond. But most important to Jason at that moment was the sound of cheering and applause coming from the tournament, the numerous parents and siblings who had come to watch their children beat the snot out of each other easily a match for all the other sounds Jason could hear combined.

Circling around the crowd of spectators Jason looked for his group, not easy from his sitting position in the wheelchair. After going more than halfway around the crowd he had enough and tapped the nearest person, a middle-aged Cat with a bad toupee, to get his attention.

"Ich bitte um Entschuldigung Sir, aber haben sie gesehen eine silber-Behaart bat walking around mit einem jungen Kind?"

_Excuse me sir, but have you seen a silver-haired bat walking around with a young child?_

The man was silent for a moment, thinking, and then pointed a bit further along the crowd, near a small group of trees.

„yah, sah ich ein bat Kopf über die Art und Weise. Es war ein cute cat mit ihr zu; Schwester von ihr?"

At this Jason could only chuckle and shake his head. "Nein, nur ein Freund. Dank."

Continuing on to where he'd been pointed, Jason continued scanning the crowds as best he could. A sudden burst of cheering from the crowd signaled the start of a match, and Jason looked to recognize Zane pounding away at some unfortunate Raccoon. The kid wasn't half-bad, if Jason was to be honest with himself. Quick, evading footwork and flurries of light jabs; the kid had the makings of a Boxer/Out-fighter.

After several more seconds of wearing down the other boy Zane reared back his left fist and smashed it into his opponent's chest, sending him down to the ground where he lay gasping for breath. Jason kept watching just long enough to see Zane's triumphant smirk before looking forward once more to find himself nearly to the trees. He thought he could make out Angela and Kie'sel resting in the shade, but didn't see Nikki anywhere.

"_Probably closer to the ring, to better cheer her son on."_

"Mmm, fun to watch, isn't it?"

Jason looked to his right to find an incredibly short Fennec walking along beside him, a green tank-top and dark grey cargo pants seemingly barely hanging onto his slender frame. An unlit cigarette hung precariously from his grinning mouth, as if there more as part of an image than to actually be smoked. Before Jason had the chance to ask who he was the Fox reached a hand out. "Hey there, Todd Green, at ya service. I saw you heading my way, so I thought I'd introduce myself."

Jason took the offered hand and shook it, not seeing any reason to be rude. "Good to meet you, my name is Jason Black. What do you mean I'm heading your way?"

Letting the hand go Todd moved to behind Jason and began pushing the chairbound Cat, quickly speeding him along to the tree clump. "I'm heading for those trees too, friend. Ya see, I'm Zane's personal instructor, and a close friend of the family. Nice kid, that Zane, almost as nice as his mom. Ah, here we are."

The first to notice their arrival was Kie'sel, who quickly dropped her conversation with Angela to skip over and embrace the short Fox in a hug. "Toddy, you made it! I was beginning to wonder about you!" Todd chuckled and returned the hug, winking over at Jason as he wheeled himself over to Angela, who kneeled down to embrace him in a similar fashion.

"Hey hun, what took you so long? Did you have to go all the way to Poland for a drink?"

Jason smiled ruefully and glanced back over towards the crowd. "No, just ran into some bad traffic on the way here, hehe. Managed to see Zane's fight though."

Having followed his gaze, Angela smiled as well and agreed. "The kitten is pretty good for his age. Kie'sel here was just telling me about his excellent…oh! You must be the Mr. Green Kie'sel has been telling me about."

Todd, who had just walked over to Jason and Angela, Kie'sel following close behind, smiled and bent down in an exaggerated bow. "Ah, it seems my reputation precedes me. You're correct, naturally; Todd Green, at your service."

Angela grinned, while Jason just rolled his eyes and Kie'sel giggled. In Angela's arms Constantine fidgeted and yawned. Todd noticed this and leaned over for a better look. "Oh? And who's this cutey-wutey?

"This is my son, Constantine." Angela looked down into the small Bat's eyes as they opened, blinking up at her before looking around curiously. Angela smiled wider before looking over to Jason. "Hey, would you mind holding him for a while? My arms are getting tired."

Jason shook his head and soon had Constantine happily sitting in his lap, giggling and clapping along with the nearby crowd even though he probably didn't even understand what was so exciting over there. Jason watched the crowd as well, finding it to be far more entertaining than the actual fights, other than Zane's. He would occasionally glance over at Angela, Todd and Kie'sel as they chatted amiably to each other, the young Fennec easily trading quips and friendly advice with the others. It seemed to Jason that the Fox was just as accustomed to discussing current world events as he was to giving advice on the best places to eat in Berlin. This was something else Jason found interesting about the Fox. Other than his legal father he had never known anyone who could so easily dap into so many topics without getting overwhelmed. His father had been a multi-million dollar businessman though, multi-thinking was practically a requirement. Todd Green though was according to Kie'sel, a semi-famous personal trainer; what could the two possibly have in common?

As the day wore on the crowd around the ring quickly began disappearing, parents taking their children away, perhaps to cheer a child up for losing in one case, or to celebrate another for getting as far as he did. Jason didn't think on this too much as he relaxed under the blessed shade of the trees, content to stay there as the late morning sun rose to its midday position. Sometime just between having the thought that he might fall asleep and the event of closing his eyes Jason was suddenly stirred back to alertness. Looking around he found the reason to be that the tournament had ended and Zane and Nikki were making their way over. Jason turned his chair to them and began wheeling himself over, meeting up with Angela and Kie'sel just as they themselves began moving to meet with the mother and son.

Looking around, Jason frowned. "Hey, were did Todd get off to?"

Angela leaned down and scooped Constantine off of Jason's lap, eliciting a happy giggle from him. "I'm not sure, he just ran off saying he had to meet someone."

"Huh, weird." Feeling someone watching him Jason looked around and found Zane walking over purposefully in his direction, instead of just towards the group in general. In the boy's arms was a modest but well-made trophy, of a non-descript person throwing a right uppercut.

As soon as he was close enough Zane, without a word, placed the surprisingly light trophy into Jason's lap, moved to behind him, and began pushing him along beside the others as the group slowly began making its way to the nearest park exit. Confused by this expected shift in treatment from the boy, Jason looked up in confusion towards Nikki, only to get a shake of the head and a subtle hand motion to drop it. Unable to really do anything else, Jason sighed and did just that. If it was that important, he would find out eventually anyway.

And where did that damn Fox get too?

**/**

A/N: A new chapter done, yay! Tell me what ya'll thought in your reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of their characters. I make no money from this.

A/N: There's going to be a bit of a change with this chapter folks. Well, more like quite a large change; hope you enjoy it!

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 7

**/**

_The first of many things Asura noticed as she opened her eyes was the heat. Dry, scorching, heat that made her feel like she was going to wither up and die. If she were to use a word to describe it, the word would be __**rageful**__, as if the heat was a sentient thing, with her torment its sole goal. It suited the world around her, scarlet and crimson in all directions that she could see._

_The next thing she became aware of as she struggled to understand what was happening was the ground. It was all gravel, sharp, jagged, piercing into her bare skin like hundreds of hot knives. When she tried to move she let loose a scream as it suddenly felt like a cheese grater had gone to work on her back. She could feel the hot rivulets of blood running from her back onto the burning rocks. Another scream of pain left her lips as the blood became steam, scorching her fresh wounds black. She bit back a choked sob as the sound of her own fur and flesh crisping and flaking off her body reached her ears._

_And that was when the final thing finally reached her. The screams. Hundreds, thousands of tormented screams echoed through the fiery darkness around her, pounding and hammering at her mind until she screamed back for it to end. Her pleas and begs for mercy only joined in the cacophony of pain, until she could no longer tell where she ended and it began. Soon, she began to question if there had ever been a time when she __**wasn't**__ a small part in the grand symphony of screams her battered ears could finally make out from the chaos. _

_Before she could understand what was happening it ended, like a flame snuffed out by a wind, leaving the world in silence. She opened her clenched-shut eyes to find herself staring out into darkness; the fire, the searing heat, and the screams all gone. Just her, and the Void._

"_**SO MUCH POWER, INFLUENCE, AUTHORITY…AND YET YOUR LIFE HAS AMOUNTED TO SO LITTLE."**_

_Asura spasmed, her eyes bulging as what felt like a massive pressure settled on her body. All the air left her lungs, and she struggled for breath._

"_**A PITIFUL CREATURE…BLINDLY FOLLOWING PITIFUL, DESTRUCTIVE IDEALS."**_

_Asura wanted to scream in agony, but found herself speechless, only able to hang there as the Presence exerted itself upon her._

"_**YOU HAVE SEEN YOUR FATE...NOW CHANGE…"**_

The black Void went white, as Asura screamed.

**/**

Asura let out a bored sigh as she stared out from the outdoor patio of her apartment suite. Having just taken a dose of her stimulant, she was wide awake but with nothing to really do. Looking out from the 14th floor of the building, she could see in the distance Volkspark Friedrichshain, the park she knew her brother to be in at that moment, watching the son of Miss Jenkins fight. For the past two days, since her arrival in Berlin, she and her men had been carefully tracking the activities of Jason and those associated with him. Aside from a few dinners out and the one visit to his treatment, Jason had done very little.

A creak came from her light oak chair as she shifted in it, another sigh passing from her lips as she began reflecting on old memories brought on by the sight of the park. Memories of her mother Aiko. Her mother had loved parks, oftentimes spending whole days just wandering through them, watching the children play. Her favorite parts of parks had been the flower beds; Asura smiled as she remembered the way her mother spoke about flowers, and the way they made her feel. The way the delicate shapes and bright, exuberant colors seemed to enliven a world that grew darker with each passing year. In fact, it had been for a flower that Asura had been named, in what felt like a lifetime ago, before her mother had died, her brother disfigured, and her whole life changed.

"Hinata."

For a moment Asura felt surprise that the name had slipped from her, but after a moment sighed and shook her head. That life was behind her now; left behind, abandoned in the bright, happy days of childhood. Hinata, Sunflower, had died the same day her mother did. Now, all that was left was Asura, the Demon.

Ending this train of thought Asura reached to the table to her left for her lemon drink, before frowning as her hand met with air.

"Mm, ya know, you Japanese folk always make the best lemon soda. I just can't get enough of the stuff!"

Asura leapt from her seat and twirled around to face the speaker, her SIG Sauer pulled from its holster and aimed. As soon she lay eyes on the intruder however she dropped it to her side, quickly schooling her expression into haughty annoyance. "Ah, it's you. I was wondering when you'd show your face to me, Mr. Green…you're a lot shorter than I expected."

Mr. Green grinned up at her, swirling the now-empty glass around an index finger. The cigarette was gone, while a green wool/felt jacket looked like it'd been thrown on in a rush. "Mmm, ya know, I get that a lot. Of course, it helps that you're so tall yourself." His amber eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked her up and down, giving Asura the impression that to him she was like a piece of steak at a market, getting judged on if it was a good enough cut. "Mmm, what are you anyway, 6'? 6'1"?

"Six foot even, if you really must know. I get it from my father's side."

Stepping around the chair and patio table and into the suite proper, Asura flicked her ponytail from her shoulder and pulled her bare arms up over her head into a stretch, pushing out her equally-bare chest. Standing just a few feet from her Green grinned and licked his lips at the sight. "Mmm, ya know, most people wouldn't be able to go around like that. They'd be too scared."

Asura cast a smirk at him as she strode through her suite to her room, her footfalls silent on the lush tan carpeting. "That's the benefit of being a part of the powerful and privileged. We get real freedom." Kicking her sandals off she flopped down onto her bed and rolled over to look up at the ceiling. The sheets were a bright blood red, the same as her recently dyed hair and the short shorts that served as her only piece of clothing. "Flattered as I am though as you admire my bust, I doubt that's the reason for your visit. What do you want Green?"

The Fennec stepped up next to the bed, his grin still there but less admiring and more feral. "Why are you here? What are you doing in MY city, MY territory? What does your father want that he couldn't ask me to do?"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist," Asura spoke with a grin, finding his apparent annoyance at her presence rather amusing. Not to mention his actually expressing his annoyance; rather ballsy, she thought, considering her father, his commander, would doubtlessly not hesitate for a moment to string the Fox out by his entrails if she so much as asked. Not that she would. Finding him looking at her expectantly she decided to elaborate. "I'm here to keep an eye on Jason Black. He's here, meeting with some doctor."

She watched Green's expression carefully, noting with some bit of satisfaction as he went straight from annoyed to surprised. "Jason Black's here, in Berlin? THIS Berlin! Why?"

She shrugged and rolled over onto her stomach, facing herself away from him. "He's meeting with some doctor. Jenkins, I believe her name is. She apparently has developed something he **believes** will help him walk again. Oh, you do know he's in a wheelchair, right?"

Facing away from him, Asura missed his grin. "No, I had no idea at all…now tell me, is that the only reason you're here? I'm sure if you'd have asked he would have given the assignment to someone else, someone less…critical somewhere else."

For nearly a full minute Asura lay there motionless on the bed, before quickly rolling around and off of the bed onto her feet. "You're right, there is more." She stepped closer to him, her eyes meeting his as she towered above him. "You see, I found myself rather interested in meeting you." Grinning at his sudden silence she slowly leaned down, bringing her lips within inches of his own. "I did some research and found you…fascinating…"

Their lips had just begun to touch when a sudden beeping rang out, filling the bedroom. Both broke away from each other, Asura hurrying over to her nightstand and snatching up a matte grey PDA. "Oh fuck, incoming HoloMeet!" She quickly dropped the PDA onto her bed and grabbed a hurried to her closet for a shirt.

Behind her Green pulled a pair of green-tinted mirror shades from a jacket pocket and slipped them on, before pulling on a pair of leather gloves. From the gloves snaked a trio of wires, slithering up his jacket arm, out through the collar and connecting with three sharp snaps to the glasses. Turning his head he watched as a now-dressed Asura donned a similar pair of glasses and glove, although hers were red instead of green. "Do you know what this meeting could be about?"

Asura shook her head. "No idea. Let's just not keep the others waiting, shall we?" Asura flicked her gloved hand, and suddenly from where she stood it seemed that her room was disappearing, black slabs shooting out and around until it seemed as if she floated within a black, featureless void. She too had changed; her clothes shone a blinding white, as dozens of red lines like electrical currents raced over her body. To her right Green had undergone a similar change, except green where she was red. Blinking behind her shades, Asura shook her head to clear the spots from her eyes. Full-world holograms like this always left her feeling weird.

Before them more people began sparking into existence. To her left, colored a Royal blue, was a tall and thickly-built Hyena, his Islamic robes doing little to hide his thick muscles. Past Mr. Blue, his business suit a steely grey, was Ryan Tobs. Turning to look past Mr. Green Asura smiled softly toward Miss Gold. The Rabbit looked her way and smiled back, somewhat sensually, and adjusted her golden yellow sundress to better accentuate her…accessories. Asura blushed and quickly looked away as her father Mr. White materialized. The Cougar's white coat and body armor crackled and spat with white energy as he looked down at all the others. Asura grinned at the sight of all the others unconsciously edging away from him because of his size. During all Holomeetings he magnified his image 1.5 times from its true form. It was subtle, but the meaning was clear to the rest; in his organization, HIS world, no one looked down on him. Ever.

After several more minutes had passed and it became apparent that no more would arrive, White let out a low growl. **"It seems that my son Deva and Dr. Amedeo will not be attending. No matter, this does not concern them. I now call this meeting to order. Report."**

Mr. Blue was the first to step forward. "I have acquired two new contacts within the Nigerian government, one of whom has strong ties of his own within the military. I have also learned that soon, perhaps within the next three to four years, there will be a shift in power." He raised his gloved hand and waved it, causing a series of pictures and diagrams to scroll before the attending Colors. "Umaru Yar'Adua, of the People's Democratic Party, shall be the next President of Nigeria."

Several Colors nodded in approval, and White spoke. **"And he will be…useful, correct?"**

Blue thought over the question for several minutes, before hesitantly nodding. "He will be adequate. If nothing else I can plant suggestions that he won unfairly, to create suspicion in the global community."

"**Very well, that is enough from you." **White turned to Miss Gold. In turn everyone else did along with him. **"And what of you?"**

The Rabbit grinned and eagerly moved forward a step to be better seen. "As you all know, I have been working for the past several weeks in securing work from the People's Republic of China, which has so far proven to be rather difficult. Even more so once their intelligence networks discovered that we were already taking missions from the Republic of China. Finally however, I have managed to secure their funding and permission to operate in the country!"

At this declaration the circle broke out into light applause, Green going so far as to mimic patting the beaming Rabbit on the back. Smiling herself Asura knew, once her current assignment was over and she had free time, she would request a mission in China. She had always wanted to go there. Looking over towards her father, she saw that even he had the closest he could come to a smile, not quite able to do it with the way his artificial jaws were constructed.

"**This is excellent news. I was right in putting my trust in you it seems, Miss Gold. Now, what news from North America, Mr. Tobs? Is there progress on the acquisition of the Huntress?" **Ryan moved a step forward as all attention focused on him, a sudden and deathly hush falling over the meeting. Everyone knew that this assignment was of particular importance to both Mr. White and Dr. Amedeo.

Raising up a hologram map of the Appalachian Mountains, Ryan gestured towards the Allegheny Mountain Range. "There has been progress, in fact. Several days ago a group of college students went camping here, in the Alleghenies. Over the course of one night they were all slaughtered by an unknown assailant except for one, who managed to incapacitate the killer before collapsing in exhaustion in his truck. The next day some park rangers found the area, and took the boy, a Wolf, to the nearby town's hospital. There was no sign of the assailant however." Wiping away with a wave the hologram of the mountains he next brought up one of a small town. "This is the town, Bright Falls."

Several murmurs went through the circle, quickly silenced by White's raised hand. **"And how did you come across this information?"**

Ryan brought up a hologram of the list of murdered college kids. "One of the campers happened to be the grandson of former Senator Netton. The man wanted revenge, naturally. He came to me and requested my assistance in finding the killer. I have sent agents Black and Rodriguez out to the area, with orders to do what they can."

As soon as the director of the Company stopped speaking Green stepped forward, immediately drawing all attention to him. "Excuse me for asking this, uh, silly question. But remind me again exactly WHY we're wasting resources looking for someone that even good old Amedeo has said is probably dead?"

Even as Mr. Green spoke Asura felt her father's mood change, as his orders were questioned. The others seemed to sense it as well, as first Blue, and then Gold shut off their broadcasts, not wanting any part in the coming storm. Ryan too looked like he was thinking of leaving, but seemed to reconsider after a moment and stayed.

Once Green finished White stared evenly at him, no emotion discernable on his face. **"You…wonder why we 'waste resources' searching for the Huntress? Do you know what she is?"** At Green's hesitant head shake White continued. **"She is the culmination of a branch of Dr. Amedeo's research and experiments. A wholly different beast. The military model, to Jason's civilian model. We want her, Mr. Green, because her type is engineered for warfare."**

"Then why don't we just get Amedeo to make more than! I mean if he-"

"**Amedeo cannot make any more! All his research was within that specific lab, destroyed when the CIA cut its funding! Now question me again, and it will be YOU, Mr. Green, who will have to find her!"**

From White came a surge of energy, and all at once the hologram was shut off. Asura gladly took off her glasses and glove, throwing off to the side before turning to look over at a seemingly-unconcerned Green. "Well, it seems you gotten on his bad side, Greeny."

Slipping his glasses and glove into a pocket he shrugged, before looking over towards her and grinning. "If you haven't noticed, lovely, the whole world is on your daddy's bad side. The only difference for me though is that I'm still useful." Turning from her for a moment he slipped his jacket off and threw it down onto the ground. His arms, thin as they were, looked packed tight with muscle. Asura could only imagine that the rest of his body was the same. Although, if she had her way, soon she wouldn't have to imagine.

"You could be useful, maybe. Afterall, if my father can manage to get his enemies to advance his plans, I'm sure he'll find something for you to do for him." As she spoke Asura climbed down onto her bed, flipping onto her side to look at Green. When he turned back around to face her she smiled up at him and ran her hand down her side. "Right now though, I'm more interested in what you can do for me."

He matched her grin with one of his own, his hands going down to his pants as he stepped towards her. His last action before joining her on the bed was to press a small, easily-missed button on a device sewn into the inside of his left shorts pocket.

**/**

A/N: Well, this chapter was certainly different, wouldn't you say? I know it's probably pushing the M rating just a tad, but to tell the truth I have seen and read way worse on here. Anyway, read and review!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of their characters. I make no money from this.

A/N: Time for another chapter, my avid readers. This one has a ton of angst in it, as Jason finds himself beginning to bonds with the others.

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 8

**/**

After putting away Zane's trophy in Nikki's car, the group decided on getting lunch together, after one stop Zane needed to make. Neither the boy, Nikki, or Kie'sel seemed too enthusiastic to talk about where they were going, so Jason just shrugged and went along with them while Angela went off to a cafe they all quickly decided to meet at for lunch. As he sat in the backseat of Nikki's car, Zane beside him and playing on a laptop, Jason briefly thought about asking where they were going, but decided against it. The boy didn't seem in the mood, and if there was one thing Jason understood about people, it was their moods.

Once they arrived at the cemetery though, Jason wished he had asked. It was odd, Jason thought, to see the young boy pick his way between the headstones, not sparing the ones he walked past any attention. It was obvious that Zane and Nikki were familiar with the cemetery from the first moment the group got there, though why the female Hyena simply stayed with Jason and let Zane go on ahead was a mystery, just like the reason why they were there in the first place.

As if sensing the questions on his mind, Nikki moved beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Zane's father was in the armed forces. Too busy and not really making enough to support a family, so I never said anything to the man and transferred as soon as I could."

"But why a cemetery? Did his father die?"

Nikki took a moment to answer, and when she did Jason thought he detected something…regretful in her voice. "Zane has never met his father, so to him his father is as good as dead. After every tournament he wins, or important test he passes, he comes here and 'dedicates' it to dead strangers." Nikki fell silent after this. Even though he still had questions, such as why Zane never met his father, how this morbid tradition began, and what was meant by dedicate, Jason chose not to push it. Afterall, there were plenty of questions he would not answer if asked.

Minutes passed, and in the silence that could only be found in a place of death Jason began to think. The cemetery brought back to Jason's mind memories of when he had been the same age as Zane. Of how his life had been, and how he had also been intimately familiar with graveyards…

**/**

_The Past…_

Hot tears ran down Jason's face in streams, matting his dark fur to his skin better than the freezing rain ever could. Above him, the dark sky crackled and boomed with lightning and thunder. Around him silent adults stood as a still, black mass, heads bowed as one as they all listened to the priest. At the center of the crowd, the focus of all their attention, sat a small coffin; the right size for a child. Mary Bentham, his friend.

The elderly priest spoke to them all of how this was not the end of the girl, only of her time here on this earth. That she had gone on to a better place. But to Jason's ears it all sounded like hollow, useless words; insipid nonsense that had no bearing on his feelings. Heaven…Hell…angels…what did they matter in the face of real life? How could death at such a young age ever be justified, or explained? How could that preacher go on like that, how could she even be allowed to die?

These thoughts swirled within Jason's young mind, until he felt like he would die himself if he did not voice them. He looked up at his father beside him, standing cold and upright, the very picture of detachment from the proceedings, and whispered as loudly as he dared. "D-Dad, why did Mary have to die?"

Dardanos Lorre's response came slowly, but when it came it was as cold and direct as the man himself. "She is dead…because as fell into the river, you froze up. You stood and watched as the girl drowned. You failed your friend, and I am very disappointed in you."

By this point Jason's shoulders shook, his vision blurred by his tears. He took a step away from his father's frowning face, and then another, and before he realized it he was running…

**/**

"Maybe he's lucky…not having a father…"

Nikki snapped her thoughtful gaze down at Jason, confusion evident in her features. "What did you say?"

Jason hadn't even known he had said that out loud, and so when Nikki spoke back he flinched and looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I just…when I was your son's age, I always dreamed about **not** having a dad. What he's doing, it's just…not something I can relate to."

A moment later Jason felt a hand softly touch his shoulder, and he looked up to Nikki smiling wistfully down at him. "If it makes you feel any better, I can relate to not wanting a dad. Most people just don't get to choose their parents though; or at least, no one I know has ever gotten to."

Silence fell between them then, Jason feeling all of a sudden alone, and foolish. His head turned and his eyes traced over the headstones surrounding them. He wondered what his headstone would look like when he was dead, and if anyone would ever visit him. It was a morbid train of thought; one Jason wished he hadn't begun on.

Soon enough Zane slowly began making his way back to them. His head was held up and his mismatched eyes were clear, and already Jason could tell that the strange mood he had been in had passed. Soon the group was back in the car and away from that morbid place to lunch. Jason sat in the back, next to Zane as the boy once again did something on a laptop. Several times Jason saw from the corner of his eye Zane pause in his typing and glance over at him, as if wanting to ask a question. He never did though, and so the car went on in silence to the restaurant.

The restaurant was a medium-sized bistro-like establishment, the kind to serve mostly cheap but plentiful food in a relaxed, friendly setting. As Jason wheeled himself in he let the calm atmosphere wash over him like a breeze, a small smile gracing his face. They quickly found Angela sitting near the far-back corner, beside a window and looking out. As they drew closer she looked over at them and smiled.

"Hey, I was wondering when you guys would get here!"

Jason moved the chair to her left out of the way and set himself there, Nikki to his left and Zane right across from him. Kie'sel squeezed in next to Angela, a task not too difficult due to their similar body types. Once they were all seated and the waitress had come by to get their orders the group settled into small talk; Kie'sel, Angel, and Nikki did most of the talking, with Zane merely sitting and watching the others talk. Jason felt oddly relaxed in this situation, as unusual for him as it was. Back when he and Angela had been Company agents, chances for relaxation with friends and coworkers had been depressingly few and far between, and almost always spent in bars or each others' houses. Along with this, or perhaps because of it, they usually met at night, when the bars would be open.

Jason felt something stir then, as if half-realizing something huge, life-altering. It wasn't until the waitress returned with their drinks and Jason began to take a sip of his ice-cold lager did it hit him.

He was no longer a member of the Company. He was no longer comrades and coworkers with Fisk, Ana, Leo, or Ryan. No longer bleed with them, fight with them; trust them to have his back just as he had theirs. All his life for the last four years was now as good as gone, and he had nothing to show for it but a ruined body and an evil family. He didn't know whether to feel lost, or relieved.

"Hey, Wheelchair Prime, what was it like in the military?"

All conversation going on at the table ground to a shocked silence, all eyes turning to the speaker. Jason felt annoyance at the nickname bubble up in his chest, quickly forcing it back down as he tried to grin at Zane and wave away the question. "And what makes you think I was ever in the military, boy, my body?"

At this Zane seemed to feel a bit of embarrassment from the question, but before his mother could scold him he ventured on. "No, not that. I mean, not all that. You remind me of my principal; he lost an arm in the service, and is the grumpiest bastard ever."

"Zane, watch your language!" Nikki wacked her son on the head, earning a scowl from the boy, and then looked over at Jason. "I'm really sorry, he's usually more polite than this to most people. I just don't know what's gotten into the little firecracker."

Jason simply waved away her apology, instead continuing to grin at his "offender" on the other side of the table. "Oh, don't worry, I've heard way better insults than getting indirectly called a grumpy bastard. I doubt your little 'firecracker' could even register as a blip on my annoyance radar." A moment later, as Jason predicted, the boy rose to the bait.

"Yeah, well, with that metal thing you call a jaw, I'm not surprised you have radar installed too!"

Several chortles came from Angela and Kie'sel at this, while Nikki just looked like she wanted to crawl somewhere and hide. Jason however just grinned broadly. He was beginning to enjoy this conversation, and from the similar grin on Zane's face, he was too. This didn't mean Jason planned on letting that comment go.

"Your mom's nickname for you seems to be firecracker. What kind, cherry bomb?"

Jason watched with a satisfied grin as Zane's face went red. The boy opened his mouth to retort; only to shut it as their food arrived, ending the little battle of wits for the moment. This was just fine for Jason; in all honesty, he wasn't sure if he would have managed a win. The kid was good.

Shrugging this thought off Jayden went to grab his ham sandwich, only for Nikki to quickly slap it away and look at him pointedly. She then folded her hands in front of her, followed by Zane, Kie'sel and Angela; Jason sighed and just placed his single hand in his lap, after which Nikki smiled and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your generous blessings. For the delicious food set before us, and the bonds of love, family, and friendship between us. Thank you for our health, and make it so that we may live according to your will. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

Several amen's echoed around the table, Jason giving only a half-hearted one before once more going for his food. He was more than willing to let the taste of Cheddar and Mustard turn his thoughts away from what just happened. For this Zane proved surprisingly useful, as after about a minute of silent eating all around the table he looked up at Jason. "You know, you never answered my question. What was it like in the military?"

Jason took his time chewing the bite in his mouth, giving the question some real thought. He hadn't really thought about it in years, and the sudden reminder was making him feel nostalgic. "Yeah, I was in the military. But not just any military branch; I was in the best of the best, the U.S. Marine Corps. I joined at 17, and had the best years of my life." His gaze grew distant to the listeners as he remembered long-ago times. "Being a Marine was full of hard work and commitment to honor and courage. You learn…you learn that it's not just the country, or the government that you fight for. It's about protecting people, and the freedom to choose their own life. To the common soldier on the ground it's not about getting the most kills, or achieving some abstract political objective, but insuring the safety of their loved ones; giving them the best possible life, even if it's a life without the soldier in it. It's more a sacrifice than a job."

Jason fell silent, unable to go on as he felt overwhelmed. His eyes misted up, as he was struck by a sudden, indescribable sense. He felt Angela place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and he reached up to grasp it firmly in his own as their eyes locked. She could understand how he felt. A second later he felt Nikki place a hand on his other shoulder, and remembered that she herself had been a member of the U.S. Army.

Zane spoke up then, ending the sudden moment between the three. "My dad was in the army…I can't, I can't help but wonder if he'd be proud of me, if he knew me."

Jason looked to Nikki to see what she would do, only for her to subtly shake her head and indicate toward the boy. It was not one of blame, or annoyance, but of a silent plea. It took Jason a moment to understand, but when he did he quickly looked over at the boy in question and took him in. A moment's hesitation passed, and then he reached out across the table and clapped his hand on Zane's shoulder. "Don't worry boy, I'm sure he would be.

**/**

Jason stared through the window out at Berlin. Night had just recently fallen on the city, and from the apartment Jason could see it all blaze with light, as bright as day to someone like him. But his mind was far from there; instead, his thoughts dwelled on the past. That afternoon in the restaurant, when he'd talked to the others about something he hadn't even thought about since the day he had joined the Company. And then earlier, at the cemetery, when his mind had wandered back to the fifth funeral he'd been to, and he let slip that it might be good that Zane didn't know his father…

Jason ignored the soft padding of feet on the carpet, merely grunting and leaning his head against her as Angela wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders and leaned against him. The two stayed silent for several minutes, both looking out the same window but seeing radically different sights. Finally Angel shifted and kissed the top of his head. "Long day today, wasn't it?"

Jason nodded in agreement, still looking out. "Yeah. Yeah it was. The tournament was fun I guess, and that Todd guy was interesting." Angela made a nod in agreement but stayed silent. Both knew what she had really been meaning, and it was only a few silent minutes until Jason relented. "I feel guilty…about speaking about the Marines like I did. The past few years I haven't really lived up to them."

"Neither of us have, Jason." Angela brushed some loose strands of hair from Jason's face and kissed him again. "But that came with the job, didn't it?"

Jason frowned, before finally looking away from the view and at her. "But what kind of job was that Angela? A rogue group of assassins, operating outside all government oversight? It feels like we've pissed all over what we were taught as soldiers and become t-ter…" Jason couldn't finish, instead clenching his eyes shut and taking several deep breaths. Angela had stopped resting on him and backed up a few steps, looking down at him worriedly. Where this sudden venom towards the Company had come from?

"What's gotten into you Jason? You used to love our job, now you're making the Company sound like just a bunch of nationalistic American terrorists, or like White's group!"

Jason fell silent at her yell, a moment later turning back to look out the window. "You seem to forget, my **father** used to work for the company. Look what happened to him." At this Angela was struck silent; a moment later Jason sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. All I meant to say was that I was a different man in the military. And I think I want to remember that man."

He stayed quiet as Angela kneeled down at his left and turned his head to face hers, smiling gently at him. "Okay. Just don't forget that it was the Company man that I fell in love with." He grinned at her and leaned over, taking her lips in a kiss.

"Don't worry Angel; you know I don't forget the important things…"

**/**

_The Past…_

Hot tears ran down Jason's face in streams, matting his dark fur to his skin better than the freezing rain ever could. Above him, the dark sky crackled and boomed with lightning and thunder. Around him silent adults stood as a still, black mass, heads bowed as one as they all listened to the priest. At the center of the crowd, the focus of all their attention, sat a small coffin; the right size for a child. Mary Bentham, his friend.

The elderly priest spoke to them all of how this was not the end of the girl, only of her time here on this earth. That she had gone on to a better place. But to Jason's ears it all sounded like hollow, useless words; insipid nonsense that had no bearing on his feelings. Heaven…Hell…angels…what did they matter in the face of real life? How could death at such a young age ever be justified, or explained? How could she even be allowed to die?

These thoughts swirled within Jason's young mind, until he felt like he would die himself if he did not give voice to them. He looked up at his father beside him, standing cold and upright, the very picture of detachment from the proceedings, and whispered as loudly as he dared. "D-Dad, why did Mary have to die?"

Dardanos Lorre's response came slowly, but when it came it was as cold and direct as the man himself. "She is dead…because when she fell into the river, you froze up. You stood and watched as the girl drowned. You failed your friend, and I am very disappointed in you."

By this point Jason's shoulders shook, his vision blurred by his tears. He took a step away from his father's frowning face, and then another, and before he realized it he was running. No calls to stop or come back came from behind him, spurring the boy to run faster. He could not see where he was going from the tears in his eyes, and the rain pouring down around him was now beginning to add fear to his grief.

Suddenly his foot caught on a grave marker. Unable to stop his momentum Jason let out a cry as he lurched forward, crashing hard into the ground and narrowly avoiding smashing his head against a headstone. Not that he registered coming within inches of splattering his brain; at that moment he was just trying to keep from hyperventilating. He planted his hands on the soggy ground and pushed himself up, a moment later rolling over onto his side as he curled up into a ball. His heart pounded in his chest like a hammer as his eyes flicked left and right, up and down. His body shivered but not from the cold. A pathetic whimper passed his lips and he curled in tighter. The water, it was all around him; pounding down onto his body, seeping into his ruined clothes. His chest hurt now, he felt like throwing up but couldn't seem to open his mouth. He couldn't see anything, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart as it worked to break from his chest…he tasted iron in his mouth…he coughed and began choking on the blood…

"JASON!"

Strong arms suddenly lifted him up…someone placed him on drier ground, and began doing something…but he couldn't see, he couldn't hear their voices, or the rain…or his heart…his chest stopped hurting…

A hammerblow fell on his chest, and suddenly Jason could see and hear and feel again. His mouth opened and he threw up, gasping hard as his wide eyes whirled around to find himself no longer on the ground, but laying on a bench. His eyes locked on a person bent over him worriedly, and he coughed out a name. "Da…Dalfer…"

The middle-aged Terrier suddenly pulled Jason into a bone-crushing hug, warming his left shoulder with his tears. "Oh, thank God you're okay Master Jason! We thought we'd lost you!" Another second of hugging and then the adult turned and shouted over his shoulder. "Master Castor, he's alive!"

The sound of rushing footsteps could be heard, and a moment later Jason found himself staring up into the fierce green eyes of his older brother. The 17-year old's mouth was pulled into a straight line, the black fur to making it seem to disappear. The white fur circling his eyes though was soaked, especially beneath the eyes, and with a jolt of shock Jason realized his brother had been crying.

"Damn it Jason…what's wrong with you?"

Jason whimpered and hung his head, unable to meet his brother's glare. A moment later however he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders and shaken. "Damn it Jason, I thought you were freaking dead! I thought you had died, do you hear me! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" The boy whimpered, making Castor growl and shake him again. "Damn it Jason, promise me! Promise me!"

"I promise! I'm sorry, I promise!" Jason buried his face against his older brother's chest, crying heavy tears into the expensive funeral clothes. Castor simply wrapped his arms around the smaller boy's body and held him close. Neither spoke of that day again.

**/**

A/N: Well, that was fun. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Some backstory on Jason, some backstory on Zane, who's developing into a much different character than I initially imagined. Also, a cookie to anyone who can find the connection between the names of Jason, his brother Castor, and their father.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of their characters. I make no money from this.

A/N: Time for another chapter, my avid readers. A little time skip here, to keep y'all on your toes.

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 9

**/**

"Come on Jason, come on…almost there…"

Jason panted heavily, a bead of sweat dripping from his head down onto the floor mat as he barely kept himself balanced on his own feet. Beside him and just past the hand rails stood Nikki, gently encouraging him on. Jason's focus was completely forward though, his teeth set as he slowly lifted his left foot up just barely and began to move it forward.

"Come on, that's it, that's it, you can do it…"

"I know, I know…" Jason kept his foot lifted up for just a second, before slowly lowering it back down in front of him. A quick, victorious grin flashed over his face. He heard Nikki beside him congratulating him, but all he could focus on right then was having finally managed to take a step. "S-see? I told you I could do iinngh!" A spasm rippled through Jason's body and he collapsed to the mat.

"Jason!" Nikki hurried around the hand rails and skidded into a kneel beside Jason's prone form. She gripped him by the shoulders and hauled him over to the nearest wall, propping his upper body against it and splaying his legs straight out in front of him. All the while she did this he panted, his heart hammering in his chest as he struggled to keep the tears from falling.

"Damn it…I was so close this time, so damn close!"

Nikki looked up at him from where she was crouched between his legs and frowned. "Relax, Jason, don't get so worked up over it. You've already made a lot more progress these last few days than most people manage in a month. Now calm down and just pay attention." Turning her attention back to his legs she started on the left at the foot and began working her way up, squeezing the surprisingly firm flesh as hard as she could manage. "Do you feel any of that?"

Jason stayed silent for a second, and then another, before hitching his breath and arching his back. "Yes, I can feel all of it!" His face split into a smile and he looked down at Nikki, who matched his grin before switching to the other leg and repeating the question. "Yes! I can still feel my legs!" Overcome by this sudden good news Jason tried to stand up, only to feel that pulse race through his legs again and send him once more to the floor. "Gah! Damn it!" Before Nikki could help him up he forced himself onto his hands and back against the wall. He then glared at her. "Nikki, why can I feel my legs but not use them?"

The Hyena moved to sit herself down beside him against the wall and thought. For several minutes Jason waited silently for an answer, before she just shrugged. "I…guess the nervous system branches in the legs haven't fully reconnected with the muscle tissue. Or perhaps the muscle tissue itself has degenerated from lack of use. I'll have to run some tests before I can be sure."

Jason nodded, and then with a grunt pulled himself up the wall into something resembling a standing position. "Great, just great. Guess that means no more of this today…" Nikki just shook her head no in response and went to bring over his wheelchair, which he promptly dropped down into. Nikki began to push him to the door, but was brushed off by Jason. "No thanks Nikki, I'll take myself out thank you." Nikki frowned and folded her arms, making Jason inwardly cringe. It was going to be one of THOSE arguments.

"Listen Jason, I can understand how important it must be to you to do as much on your own as you can. Everyone has a right to some pride. But that doesn't work as an excuse to do something stupid."

Jason tightly gripped the armrest for his wheelchair as he forced himself to keep calm. His particular chair could be switched at a moment's notice from a manual wheelchair to a motorized chair, and every time he came in for his treatment Jason argued that he was perfectly capable of getting himself the several blocks from his apartment to Nikki's office. He knew that he was being more difficult than was probably called for, but this was his chair!

"Come on Nikki, we've been over this. It's only a couple blocks, little traffic at this time of day, and I have a cell phone in case of trouble. Why are you being more trouble about this than Angela?" Before the Hyena could answer Jason's cell rang. Jason fished it out from his pocket and flipped it open, shooting Nikki a final frown before turning away. "Hello?"

"Hey Jason, Angela here."

"Oh hey hun, one second." Jason flipped open a compartment in the side of his wheelchair and took out a headset. Slipping it on he attached the phone onto it so the cell rested next to his mouth. He began making his way to the elevator. "Okay Angel, I can talk now."

"Good. I was just calling to tell you I'm going shopping for dinner tonight, so I'm not going to be at the apartment when you get there, okay?"

Jason rolled into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. The doors shut without anyone else getting on and the cab lurched into motion. "Sure thing, take all the time you need. I'll just sit back and watch some TV."

Saying goodbye to Angela, Jason slipped his phone back into his pocket. He then took off the headset and placed it back in its compartment. As he relaxed back into his seat Jason's mind turned to what he would really be working on that afternoon. The arm…and weapons.

**/**

"Dalfer, hit the lights and turn on the generator. Let's see what we got here."

The Terrier nodded once and went to do as instructed, his heavy duty protective apron barely shifting with each step. Jason turned back to the object lying on the table in front of him; five feet of quarter-inch thick electrically-conductive metal cable, as much as he figured he would be able to fit into the compartment on the mecharm. Reaching up he wiped sweat off his forehead with a gloved hand before slipping on his protective goggles. It wouldn't do to get a stray spark in the eye after all.

After a signal to Dalfer the lights in the room went out, and then a second later it was lit up again as the cable came alive with a white glow. Jason watched in fascination as the arcs of power running up and down the metal, discharging at the blade-shaped tip like miniature bolts of lightning. For a tiny moment, Jason wondered if this was how his father had felt the first time something he had built with his own hands worked. After that a second thought came to mind, this one amused; in a way he'd beaten White, as he managed to do this with One hand.

"So Dalfer, what do you think?"

From his spot by the mini-generator powering the cable Dalfer answered back. "I think it will look quite lovely on the tree this Christmas, Master Jason. As soon as you figure out how to keep it from incinerating the poor thing."

Jason chuckled and nodded, before holding up a stray leaf he'd picked up on his way back from Nikki's and dropping onto the cable. Within a second the fresh leaf was burnt to a crisp. "Well, I sure as hell wouldn't like getting hit by something like this. Okay Dalfer, turn up the juice and let's see what we can-" Jason was cut off by the sound of the doorbell, barely heard over the crackling of the whip. Frowning he motioned for Dalfer to switch off the generator and switch on the lights, before pulling his goggles off and glaring in the direction of the door. "Who could that be? Angel shouldn't be home for another half-hour at the least."

"I'll see who it is sir. In the meantime you should probably put that away and focus on the arm." Dalfer walked to the door, pausing just before exiting to look back at Jason. "And sir, do be careful with that. I doubt Miss Angela would be happy to come home and find you missing any more limbs."

Jason nodded absently to Dalfer before setting to work coiling the cable up and storing it away. Finished with that he opened up another storage container and lifted out the artificial arm he had found at their door. Two additions had been made to it in the past five days; on the underside of the forearm just past the wrist a spot had been opened up, and a small blade concealed inside; on the other side of the forearm part Jason had been working to add the device he'd kept in his vambraces to control the blades he used. This was proving however to be a lot harder than he had been expecting; for one thing, none of the torches he had used so far had managed to make the slightest cut in the damn thing.

Setting these thoughts aside for the moment Jason set the arm onto the table and dragged over a case holding blades of varying shape. If he couldn't do anything with the arm until he could get better equipment, than he could at least prepare the right blade to be fitted to it.

"You know, you never really struck me as the technician kind of guy."

Jason shrugged nonchalantly at this. "Yeah, not many people do. It's a hobby of mine; I got started working on muscle cars and motorcycles during high school. After joining the Marine Corps I hung out a lot with HUMVEE and tank crews, who were always glad to show others the ropes, as long as you ask."

"So you must know a lot about mechanics then, huh?"

Jason nodded and picked up from the box a thin blade that only looked like it would be good for stabbing. "18 inches long…yeah I know a fair amount I guess. Although what I knew fell into some disuse when I transferred into Marine Force Recon. Hey, pass me that ruler over there." His companion handed the requested ruler over and Jason held it first to the blade, and then some kind of release mechanism lying beside the arm. "No…this blade's too thin, it would break if I used it. Anyway, where was I I…I…"

Looking up from his work Jason blinked in confusion and looked to his left; from where he stood half-way between the door and the workbench Zane grinned and waved. "Hey Wheelchair Prime, how's it going?"

Jason frowned at the boy, wheeling his chair around to look at his unexpected guest. "Boy, what the hell are you doing here?"

Shrugging Zane hopped up onto a desk and leaned against the wall, arms across his chest as he huffed. "Mom's having a 'business' meeting with Mr. Green. Bleh; I bet she just wanted me out of the apartment so they could do…whatever grownups do when alone together."

"Okay…but why are you HERE?"

Zane shrugged again and turned to grin at Jason. "Because you're cool, duh. Not to mention your apartment was close to my school. And I could hang out with Kie'sel anytime; you'll be gone once you're all fixed up."

Jason frowned and looked down at the workbench. That was right, staying here, being around Zane and the others wasn't going to last forever. Somehow he had forgotten that. "Yeah…you're right…" He picked up a second metal blade, this one much wider, and compared it to the slot in the mechanism. "Nice to know you'll miss me, boy. I just might miss ya too."

After this a comfortable silence fell between the two, Jason continuing to compare blades and Zane sitting on the desk, seemingly content with watching. After a few minutes of this Zane spoke up again. "So uh…what are ya working on anyway?"

Jason inserted a bluish-silver 16-inch blade into the slot on the mechanism and pressed down on the top, making the blade stab out several times in rapid succession. "It's a weapon for the artificial arm right there." He set down the device and motioned toward the arm on the table, and then to his shoulder stump. "I'm going to equip it once it's finished to replace my lost arm."

Zane's eyes lit up in excitement at this. "Oh, that is awesome! It looks like something a superhero would use."

At this Jason let out a dark chuckle and set his tools down for now; the conversation was just too amusing. "Still into comic books and good versus evil, eh kid? Good guys and bad guys punching each other until one falls, hm?"

For the first time since he had gotten there, Zane really frowned and looked at Jason. "Yeah, I love them. You…don't believe in good and evil?"

Jason mirrored the boy's frown. "That is a very tricky question you're asking, boy. Most people get a half-formed idea one way or another about it and they follow it to their death. It's probably more accurate to say that good and evil are irrelevant; or subjective, if you'd prefer, I don't care. What's it matter the rightness or wrongness of stealing food if your family will starve to death if you don't? Who cares if you're obligated to tell a murderer the truth about their next victim's location? A child who's only lived in poverty will not have the same values as a child raised in opulent splendor, or even a child raised in a mid-income family, so who's to say either set of values is any better or worse than the other sets? The simplistic black and white view presented by your beloved superheroes does nothing but suppress certain value systems that don't fall in line with it."

Jason finished, and by this time Zane's frown at him had changed into an outright glare. Jumping down from the desk the boy huffed and grabbed his schoolbag from where he'd dropped it by the bench. "That's bullshit. You can't tell me that something like murder could ever be comparable to stopping a murder! It doesn't make any sense and it's not fair!"

"Fair?" Jason blinked and stared at Zane. For a split-second their eyes locked, and Jason was suddenly reminded of what exactly he was talking to; a 13-year old boy, an innocent. Ideas like fairness still meant something to him. Jason's shoulders sagged, and a tired sigh passed from his lips as he combed his hand through his hair. "Fair…right, sure." He stopped and glanced at the arm on the desk, before sighing again and looking up at Zane. "Listen, I'm done here for now; let's put this behind us and go watch some TV or something, okay? You can introduce me to German television or something."

Zane continued to glare at him, and for a moment Jason thought that any kind of forming friendship might be lost. After just a second though the boy dropped the glare and shrugged. "Sure, why not. Um…" He looked down at his wristwatch. "Oh heck! A movie I've been waiting ages to see is coming on in a couple minutes! Come on!"

Dropping his pack back onto the ground Zane rushed over and began pushing Jason to the door. Jason meanwhile simply raised an eyebrow in mild amusement at the boy's sudden change in demeanor. "This must be quite the movie. What is it?"

Rolling Jason down the hallway from the workshop and into the living room, Zane set him up right next to the couch. "It's called _Felidae_. It's an animated noir mystery about a Cat who moves into a new neighborhood and gets caught up in grisly murders!" Hopping up onto the couch Zane grabbed the remote, turned on the TV and began looking through the channels for the right one. "By the way, what's grisly mean?"

Jason groaned and dropped his head down into his palm. A "noir mystery" picked out by a kid who didn't even know what the word "grisly" meant? He had the feeling this was going to be an exercise in boredom…

**/**

Holy hell. This was the only thought Jason could conjure up as he sat watching the end credits scroll by. The movie he'd just watched…it went beyond any other movie he'd ever seen before in its sheer amount of graphic violence and sex. What kind of animated movie has that in it!

Looking over to his companion through the whole thing, Jason felt a twinge of pity for Zane. The poor Kitten had the most shocked and confused look on his face, his mouth hanging open just slightly. He looked utterly lost.

"Jason…what…what did we just watch?"

Ignoring the use of his actual name, Jason sighed and took the remote, flipping the channel to some news station. "Something you really weren't old enough for. Fuck…your mom's gonna kill me if she finds out I let you see this…"

Zane nodded absently, eyes still trained on the TV on the wall. "Claudandus was so…sickening. I hope I never meet anyone so cruel to people in the name of science ever!" Jason felt a shudder run through his body at Zane's words, and before he could stop himself he uttered the words that would alter their interactions from that moment on.

"I have met someone like that…" Zane looked to Jason questioningly, as Jason realized his words. However, it was too late to do anything but go on. "Well, what I mean by that is that in many ways, real people are far worse than anything fiction could portray. Real villains don't cackle madly as they work on bombs, or calmly explain their plans to captured heroes. In fact, they are very much like normal, everyday people; except for one. In my lifetime, I have encountered an old, old Cat called Dr. Amedeo. And he is a very bad man." Zane frowned, and Jason noticed the boy's eyes go to his shoulder stump. "No, he didn't do that. He did something much, much worse."

"What…what did he do?"

Jason looked into Zane's eyes, looking for any hesitation in them. He found none, and so he took the remote and turned up the volume on the TV. He then leaned closer and motioned for Zane to do the same. "Boy…can you keep a secret?" When Zane nodded he continued. "Good, because if the wrong people ever found out I told you all this, they would kill you."

Zane's eyes widened and his face paled, and when he spoke it was in a breathless whisper. "Who are the wrong people?"

"…my former employers."

**/**

A/N: Greetings, my fellow lovers of good story! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and if anyone is wondering, Felidae is a real German animated noir mystery film. It's dark, the murders are gruesome with one of them being truly horrific, and the villain's reveal is really and truly surprising. I enjoyed it greatly, despite some minor things, and I suggest anyone who's a fan of noir or adult animated works to check it out. ^w^


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of their characters. I make no money from this.

A/N: There's going to be a bit of a change with this chapter folks. Well, more like quite a large change; hope you enjoy it!

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 10

**/**

_The first of many things Asura noticed as she opened her eyes was the heat. Dry, scorching heat that made her feel like she was going to wither up and die. If she were to use a word to describe it, the word would be __**rageful**__, as if the heat was a sentient thing, with her torment its sole goal. It suited the world around her, scarlet and crimson in all directions that she could see._

_The next thing she became aware of as she struggled to understand what was happening was the ground. It was all gravel, sharp, jagged, piercing into her bare skin like hundreds of hot knives. When she tried to move she let loose a scream as it suddenly felt like a cheese grater had gone to work on her back. She could feel the hot rivulets of blood running from her back onto the burning rocks. Another scream of pain left her lips as the blood became steam, scorching her fresh wounds black. She bit back a choked sob as the sound of her own fur and flesh crisping and flaking off her body reached her ears._

_And that was when the final thing finally reached her. The screams. Hundreds, thousands of tormented screams echoed through the fiery darkness around her, pounding and hammering at her mind until she screamed back for it to end. Her pleas and begs for mercy only joined in the cacophony of pain, until she could no longer tell where she ended and it began. Soon, she began to question if there had ever been a time when she __**wasn't**__ a small part in the grand symphony of suffering her battered ears could finally make out from the chaos. _

_Before she could understand what was happening it ended, like a flame snuffed out by a wind, leaving the world in silence. She opened her clenched-shut eyes to find herself staring out into darkness; the fire, the searing heat, and the screams all gone. Just her and the Void._

"_**SO MUCH POWER, INFLUENCE, AUTHORITY…AND YET YOUR LIFE HAS AMOUNTED TO SO LITTLE."**_

_Asura spasmed, her eyes bulging as what felt like a massive pressure settled on her body. All the air left her lungs, and she struggled for breath._

"_**A PITIFUL CREATURE…BLINDLY FOLLOWING PITIFUL, DESTRUCTIVE IDEALS. NOT SEEING HOW OTHERS LEAD HER ON."**_

_Asura wanted to scream in agony but found herself speechless, only able to hang there as the Presence exerted itself upon her._

"_**YOU HAVE SEEN YOUR FATE...NOW CHANGE…"**_

_The black Void went white, as Asura screamed._

_**/**_

Asura shot up in bed, barely holding in the terrified scream clawing to be let loose. Her hands trembled as she ran them over her bare body in a near-panic, looking for any of the burns or slashes she felt in her dream. There were none. With an exhausted sob she buried her face in her hands, hot tears flooding her eyes. Her body felt like it was on fire and her shoulders shook, and she felt like she hadn't gotten any rest while sleeping. She hated it.

The bed shifted, and Asura felt a thin arm rest on her shoulders. Green sat up beside her and frowned with concern. "Everything okay Asura?"

Asura finally got her shaking under control and dropped her hands from her face. A moment later she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, yeah…just bad dreams; they mean nothing."

"Life means nothing, my dear." Yawning Green slid off the bed and strolled sleepily to a nearby case. Asura kept her eyes on his butt, only half-listening to him as he spoke. "But, it can still be annoying. That's why I made this, lovely." Opening the case he picked up a syringe from a row and presented it to her. It was filled with a translucent green liquid. "I've noticed you're quite the fan of my stimulant; have some."

"Mmm, I didn't know you made this." She snatched the syringe from his hand and automatically slid the hypodermic needle into her arm. Injecting herself with the stimulant Asura moaned softly, a spasm stabbing through her body. A moment later and she was standing up and stretching, all signs of her previous exhaustion gone. "Much better, Green, that was just what I needed."

Green shut the suitcase and walked over to Asura. "My pleasure Lovely, I wouldn't want you too tired for tonight."

Asura leaned down and kissed him, licking his lips and pulling him close. "Mmm, and what are we doing tonight?"

Her answer was a smirk and a kiss. "The same thing we did last night, of course."

Asura smiled down at him and leaned in for another kiss, before a knock at the room's entrance drew her attention up. Standing in the doorway was Marshall in parade rest, eyes respectfully averted from her naked form. "Asura-hime, I was on my way to inform you that breakfast was prepared, and that the requested information on Dr. Shanikwa Jenkins has arrived. I'm happy to see however that you are **both** up."

Green had the decency to cover up his groin with a hand as he moved to where he'd left his clothes. Asura chuckled for a moment at this before noticing that Marshall was still there and still avoiding looking at her. "Commander, is there anything else?"

The tall Stallion shifted his footing and coughed. "I also need to inform you that your brother has called. He is waiting for you."

"Ah, I see. Tell him I will only be a moment. Mr. Green can find his own way out." Waiting until Marshall had gone Asura went to her dresser and began setting out her clothing for the day. She smiled as Green gave a kiss to her cheek and a slap on her butt as he left, saying that he had an important meeting to get to. Not that she believed him. Slipping on a loose red blouse and skirt combo with matching boots, she checked her figure out in the mirror for a moment before turning and leaving the room.

She made her way down a short hall and into a well-lit living area, the windows and door out to the patio to her right letting in thick streams of early-morning light. A soft purr of delight as the light warmed her fur came from Asura as she settled down on a couch facing away from the sun and pressed a button on the table before her. A blinking light turned off, and above the table materialized a full-sized hologram of her brother.

"Hey Aniki-senpai! I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, I was held up!"

Through his hologram Deva glowered down at her. "Your apologies are pointless Asura, as is your insistence on using this…distasteful language Asura. Don't bother with what kept you and tell me what you have learned so far. Just yesterday we began the Russian Operation, and I have little time to spare."

Asura bit her tongue to keep from snapping back, knowing it would do her no good. He was, after all, a thousand miles away. Instead she took a glass of orange juice handed to her by Marshall, took a drink, and then began. "Mr. Green is almost totally opposed to the Organization's philosophy. He is obsessed with pleasure of all kinds, and from my limited interactions with him seems to arbor a penchant for destruction and carnage. Through prying I have learned he is in control of the three largest drug-trafficking rings in the country, as well as several brothels."

"And his thoughts and feelings in regards to the Organization?"

Asura took another sip of her juice and frowned. It was sourer than she preferred. "He enjoys being a part of us. Preliminary psychological profiles are guessing he grew up powerless in some way, and subconsciously avoids ever feeling that way again. Probably related to his damn shortness; seriously, have you met this guy?"

Deva stood silent for several minutes as he seemed to process this information. "I see…very well, continue as you are for now. No moves shall be made on him for the time being. We shall not maim ourselves over a mere…philosophical discrepancy. When he becomes a problem however, kill him immediately. Now, goodbye."

The transmission ended, and Asura slowly leaned back into the couch. Her face was marred by a frown as she thought over her brother's words. The phrase "philosophical discrepancy" echoed in her head, and she was plagued with the strangest feeling that she was missing something.

**/**

Jason flipped on the TV and leaned back into the couch, a bowl of cereal in his lap and a glass of orange juice on the end table beside him. On the screen a young and overly-busty Rabbit who looked like she wasn't even able to **spell** America was going on about the latest events in Iraq. Several political pundits, including one who claimed to have contacts in the U.S. embassy, were all yammering on about the ramifications of this and that. Each one claimed to represent a separate viewpoint, but to Jason they were all the same; incessant yappers. He quickly tuned them out and began to eat his breakfast.

Angela walked in from the kitchen, looked at Jason, looked at the TV, and then looked back at Jason. "How are we getting MSNBC here?"

Jason swallowed the bite in his mouth and smirked. "It's nice what you can get for a grand or two to the right people at the right apartment. I paid for an executive suite, I got one."

"Oh…" Angela sat down beside him and looked over at him, and Jason got the distinct feeling a conversation was coming that he wasn't going to enjoy. Several minutes passed by in silence, except for the grinding of Jason's artificial teeth on the cereal and the TV. Finally, Jason got fed up with the nervous silence and broke it.

"Ya know Angel, I don't actually have all day."

Angela flushed, embarrassed, and looked fully at him. "Sorry. This is just a problem I've been thinking about for a bit. Now that you are…well, getting **close** to fixed up, I need to know; what now?"

Jason knew what she was talking about. He had been having similar thoughts. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Angela sighed and frowned at him. "Jason, you know what I'm talking about. We aren't part of the Company anymore, and even working as a doctor three kids will be stretching whatever paycheck I'll be getting. And that's not even bringing up our problems with Mr. White!"

A crack appeared in the now-empty bowl, and Jason quickly set it down. "I wasn't aware we had any problems with White. We're just a couple of cast-aside civilians, aren't we? Whatever conflict that may continue between White and the Company has nothing to do with us."

"Bullshit." Angela moved closer. "This isn't some foreign conflict we can just walk away from! We have friends in the Company, family! And even if we didn't, who knows what kinds of plans White's organization has for…well, anything!"

"I don't care."

Jason began to haul himself from the couch, stopping and looking back at Angela as he felt her hand on his shoulder. He didn't really have anywhere to go; Nikki was still pouring over the data, working to figure out what exactly was going on with Jason's legs. Angela knew this, and kept hold of him. "Jason, please, I'm sorry for bringing it up. I just…I don't feel right abandoning people we worked with for four years to face White on their own. I don't like abandoning anyone, ever."

Jason listened to her and looked into her eyes. He found sadness, and letting out a tired sigh leaned back into the couch. He could understand where she was coming from; that was what made all this so hard in the first place. He reached his hand up and took hers in it, squeezing softly and locking eyes with her. He tried his very best to bring back his old grin, the cocky one he'd always give to her or Fisk when they were nearing the end of a mission; but it was gone, warped irreparably by recent pain and sadness.

"Angel, I really do understand how you feel. I hate this, but there's really nothing that we can do. We've both been blacklisted by the Company; we have no resources to use, and even if we did most agents wouldn't even work with us. We're as good and trustworthy to them as White was after destroying Chernobyl. And what about our children for that matter? I don't want to risk **any** of them growing up without one or both of their parents. I mean, Fisk grew up without a dad, and look at what kind of guy he's turned out to be. Calling him well-adjusted is like calling Ayn Rand a humanitarian!"

As Jason finished Angela's gaze dropped down, away from his. Almost instantly Jason regretted yelling, but before he could apologize Angela spoke. "Our kids are why I feel like we need to get involved. I can't…I **refuse** to allow the future of my children to be decided by people like White and Ryan, Deva and Fisk! I don't…don't…" Angela stuttered to a stop and looked away from Jason. To him she looked torn over something, or embarrassed. When she began again her voice was barely above a whisper, and Jason had to strain to hear her. "I'm sorry; it's just kind of a moral dilemma for me. I was raised to keep going and hold on to hope, giving up doesn't come naturally to me."

Jason sighed and rubbed at his face. "I, I'm sorry, I just can't understand you about this."

Angela nodded, stiffly stood up from the couch. "Yeah, I know."

Before Jason could stop her Angela had left, muttering off something about needing to meet up with Kie'sel. Jason watched her leave before heaving a sigh and shaking his head. Some days, like this, he truly felt lost.

Hearing the sound of shoes on tile Jason turned his head and saw Dalfer. "What did I do wrong this time Dalfer?"

Dalfer walked to beside his young charge and place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "A little word of advice, Master Jason. No one likes to hear their thoughts and beliefs brushed aside. Carelessly chosen words can often do worse damage than any deliberate affront."

Jason nodded at this bit of wisdom, his eyes turning to watch the news program. A moment later his eyes widened, and a startled shout left him as he turned the volume up. The screen was now showing scenes from some kind of government press conference in Russia:

"_This was the scene in Moscow yesterday as Russian President Lutin spoke to parliament and key military figures. While the exact details of the meeting are unknown, known details suggest a groundbreaking new partnership with relatively unknown private military contractor AkameTech. Recent mutterings of regime-"_

Jason stared at the video, staggered at what he was seeing happen. His earlier argument with Angela came back and hammered at Jason, and he suddenly felt sick. There, behind the Russian President, stood row after row of armored soldiers, their black-as-pitch armor flowing blending all together like a single beast. On each shoulder was emblazoned a single red eye, slit like a Cat's.

Jason's hand trembled as he gripped the remote, his mind a whirl of thoughts and emotions. How could this happen? What were Organization soldiers doing in RUSSIA of all places? White hated Russia, or at least Jason assumed he did. But even if the Cougar didn't, he wondered, were they really so far along in whatever their plans were to flaunt their presence so…openly? It didn't make any sense, what could they possibly gain?"

"It's…it's not my problem…right Dalfer?"

Dalfer, who had watched the news alongside Jason, turned a graven face to him. "Not at all, Master Jason. Many people have lived long, safe lives without ever, well, concerning themselves with any greater problems. And besides, you have a girlfriend, and a child to concern yourself with, and all the free time in the world now that you don't have to concern yourself with Company problems, right sir?"

"Right…right…" And yet, as Jason sat there, lost in thought, nothing had ever felt so wrong. And for the life of him he just couldn't understand what.

**/**

"I don't understand! Why do you have to go? Why?"

Castor slammed the lid of his suitcase shut and turned from his bed to glare at Jason. The younger boy whimpered and took a step back, out of his brother's room. He'd seen that look before. He hated that look. Just as he expected Castor stalked forward and grabbed Jason by the arm, dragging him back into the room and then slamming the door. Jason sniffled and sat down on the bed and watched as his brother paced agitatedly from one side of the room to another, collecting various odds and ends into a sack.

"Grrrr, I can't take it here anymore Jason, I just can't! This life, I hate it, and how…just LOOK at the world!"

Jason didn't understand. "But…"

"No, no buts Jason." Moving closer to Jason Castor kneeled down in front of his brother and tried to smile. "Jason…you need to understand. The world, it's sick. Really, really sick. And it's gotten sick because good people have gone too long ignoring the world's problems. If I stayed here, I'd have to take over the company eventually, and I would never get a chance to do what I need to do. Do you understand?"

Silence followed, as his brother's words echoed in Jason's mind. His fingers clenched, curling into the soft velvet sheets beneath him, and he looked up at Castor. "Yeah, I understand…" A moment later Castor stumbled back as Jason's fist slammed into his face. Jumping off the bed the angry teen glared at his brother, panting hard as he seemed to struggle just keeping himself from tackling the older boy. "I understand that you're just a selfish bastard! A coward! You're abandoning me to Dad just so you can get away!"

"No, please, that's not-"

"I hate you!"

Time seemed to stop, Castor staring shocked and crushed. Even Jason seemed surprised he'd yelled that, until with a strangled cry he pushed past his brother and ran from the room. He kept running, down the stairs, across the main entrance and out the doorway into the estate grounds. He ran, not looking back and not returning until hours later. By then…Castor was long gone from the premises…and from his life.

**/**

A/N: Bleh, I'm not too big a fan of this chapter. Can't really place my finger on why either. Eh, oh well.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of the respective characters. I make no money from this writing.

A/N: Remember folks, underlined words mean they are being spoken in a language other than English, **bold** means that special emphasize is being put on the bold word or words; and finally, _Italics _means that it is a dream sequence or coming in over a phone, radio, or TV. Got it memorized?

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 11

**()()()()**

_The first of many things Asura noticed as she opened her eyes was the heat. Dry, scorching, heat that made her feel like she was going to wither up and die. If she were to use a word to describe it, the word would be __**rageful**__, as if the heat was a sentient thing, with her torment its sole goal. It suited the world around her, scarlet and crimson in all directions that she could see._

_The next thing she became aware of as she struggled to understand what was happening was the ground. It was all gravel, sharp, jagged, piercing into her bare skin like hundreds of hot knives. When she tried to move she let loose a scream as it suddenly felt like a cheese grater had gone to work on her back. She could feel the hot rivulets of blood running from her back onto the burning rocks. Another scream of pain left her lips as the blood became steam, scorching her fresh wounds black. She bit back a choked sob as the sound of her own fur and flesh crisping and flaking off her body reached her ears._

_And that was when the final thing finally reached her. The screams. Hundreds, thousands of tormented screams echoed through the fiery darkness around her, pounding and hammering at her mind until she screamed back for it to end. Her pleas and begs for mercy only joined in the cacophony of pain, until she could no longer tell where she ended and it began. Soon, she began to question if there had ever been a time when she __**wasn't**__ a small part in the grand symphony of suffering her battered ears could finally make out from the chaos. _

_Before she could understand what was happening it ended, like a flame snuffed out by a wind, leaving the world in silence. She opened her clenched-shut eyes to find herself staring out into darkness; the fire, the searing heat, and the screams all gone. Just her, and the Void._

"_**SO MUCH POWER, INFLUENCE, AUTHORITY…AND YET YOUR LIFE HAS AMOUNTED TO SO LITTLE."**_

_Asura spasmed, her eyes bulging as what felt like a massive pressure settled on her body. All the air left her lungs, and she struggled for breath._

"_**A PITIFUL CREATURE…BLINDLY FOLLOWING PITIFUL, DESTRUCTIVE IDEALS."**_

_Asura wanted to scream in agony, but found herself speechless, only able to hang there as the Presence exerted itself upon her._

"_**LONELINESS AND DESPAIR ARE ALL THAT WAIT FOR YOU HERE...YOU…MUST…CHANGE…"**_

The black Void went white, as Asura screamed.

**()()()()**

The mid-afternoon sun beat down on Asura's shoulders, her loose red tank top clinging to her body in unpleasant places. Beads of sweat dripped down her body, her eyes constantly blinking to keep the salty fluid from blurring her vision. Her lips were twisted back into a snarl as she worked herself back up for another exchange of blows. Across the small clearing from her, her opponent was in a similar state, except his shoulders did not shake with exhaustion, nor did his face reveal anything except steely determination and a hint of a smirk. Asura could see neither weakness in his stance, nor any opening in his guard that wasn't obviously left there as a trap.

"You're getting weaker, Hinata. I've been telling you, all those drugs will only hurt you."

"Shut it Marshall, before I shut it for you." Both knew it was an empty threat. As much as she didn't want to admit it, those stimulants she was taking to keep from sleeping, and subsequently safe from her nightmares, really were eroding her body. She could only dream of fighting at even half the intensity she did months back, against Jason and his friends. It was this thought that made her grit her teeth and clench her fists. If that bitch Angela hadn't killed her, she wouldn't be having such freaky nightmares as she was!

The slim Cat shifted slightly in her stance, before tensing as her opponent matched her movements. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance; a moment later she charged forward towards him. At the last moment she jumped into the air and flipped over, bringing a spinning drop kick down onto his raised arms. Not wasting her momentum she twisted around in mid-air and threw a punch at his face, knocking him back and making him let her go. Falling she planted her hands onto the ground and flipped herself onto her feet, looking up just in time to see his counterattack. Without missing a beat she leaned back impossibly far, watching with wide eyes as the heavy boot whipped by inches above her face.

Once it was past she shifted her weight forward into a crouch and sprang at him, intending to plant her clenched fist into his gut. Just as the attack landed she felt his elbow smash down on her head; a moment later she was grabbed around the waist and lifted up into the air, before getting flipped around and slammed back down onto her back. All her breath left her lungs in a rush, and she knew it was over.

For several seconds she simply lay panting on the ground, the green grass surprisingly comfortable to her aching muscles. After a while however the need for something else grew stronger than the need for rest, and with a groan she sat up into a kneeling position, and then onto her bare feet. The grass felt comfortably warm and soothing to her feet as she padded over to where their water sat, quickly snatching up a bottle and taking a long guzzle. Next to her, Marshall did the same, though with more self-control.

Asura smiled faintly to herself, leaning back against a tree nonchalantly as she watched him. Her eyes roved hungrily over the Horse's thick, powerful muscles, the sight of them rippling and shining with sweat sending shivers down her spine. What she wouldn't give to…

"Hey, Hinata." The sound of Marshall's deep baritone saying her "civilian name" snapped Asura from her daydream. She looked up from his bare chest to his face, to find him smirking faintly at her. But then his eyes flickered to something past her. "Maybe coming here every day has had a benefit other than your training. You seem to have gained an admirer."

Turning to look in the indicated direction Asura spotted a black and white Cat shifting nervously from foot to foot several yards away. She had light yellow eyes and messy white fur that fell down to past her shoulders. A pink shirt and miniskirt hugged her curves closely, and Asura was sure she had seen the newcomer from somewhere before. Not that it mattered much; she had no qualms about playing with the same gender, and the other girl **was** rather cute.

Nodding to herself Asura took another drink of her water before striding on over to the watcher, putting deliberate sway into her hips and smirking as the other female blushed. "Mmm, hello there dear. Can I help you?"

The woman eeped and fidgeted, running her fingers through her messy hair. "Oh, sorry if I bothered you or your partner any. I was just going through the park with a friend when I noticed you two."

Asura nodded to this, leaning back against a tree as she continued trying to remember where she had seen the other woman before. Being in the dark was infuriating.

"Well, I'm glad to have been able to put on an entertaining show for you. My name's Hinata, and yours?"

"Oh! Please, forgive me for not introducing myself! I'm Kie'sel."

Asura smiled to her companion and licked her lips. "Mm, Kie'sel, what a beautiful name you have. It's a pleasure to meet you. So, tell me, do you come around here often?"

Kie'sel shook her head, before blinking and then shrugging. "Uh, well, not really I suppose. My friend, Zane, he likes to come here after school is let out to practice. I've only started coming here with him after his mom started a case recently."

Now Asura knew where she had seen this woman before. The first night after arriving in Berlin Asura had gone over the airport surveillance tapes pertinent to Jason. She had seen her brother and company meet with this woman and a boy. This could be useful…

Snapping from her thoughts Asura put on a smile. "I see. Well, I'm just visiting Berlin; on a business trip you see. My bodyguard and I just have some free time, so we came here to spar a bit." 

"Oh, really? Your German is very good then."

"Thank you."

Before Asura could say more a new voice spoke up from behind Kie'sel. "Didn't my mom ever tell you not to talk to strangers Kie'sel? What's she gonna think now, with this example you're setting for me to follow?"

Kie'sel quickly turned around to the speaker, while Asura leaned to the left to see a relatively tall boy looking up at them and smiling. Asura quickly recognized him as Zane, the boy who had been with Kie'sel at the airport. He was…someone she could imagine growing up to be quite the looker, if Asura was honest with herself.

She idly stepped back a foot and watched with an amused grin as the boy was suddenly glomped by Kie'sel, earning an indignant shout and huff from him. After a few seconds Kie'sel ended the hug and stood back up from her crouch to look towards Asura.

"This is Zane, my boss's son." She patted the boy on the head. "He's the friend I was telling you about!"

Asura grinned down at the boy, liking how Zane matched her grin with one of his own. This could be fun…

**()()()()**

Green's soft-soled shoes made little noise as he padded down the hospital-like hall. His eyes were kept forward, his gaze never wandering to the open doors to his left or to his right. He had no time to stop and enjoy the…activities going on in those rooms, so he would have to make do with merely the sounds of the…experiments. Although he doubted that the test subjects were enjoying themselves, if the screams echoing around him meant anything.

Reaching the end of the long hall Green pushed a tall set of double doors open and strode into an office. The carpet was a rich forest green and the walls an ivory white, while the wall across from the doors was simply a massive window. Through it he could look out onto nearly the whole city. No desks or chairs occupied the room. Green's eyes instantly locked on the towering figure at the window, and he quickly shut and locked the doors.

"Ah, so you're really here than. I expected someone of your importance to just use a hologram. Is there perhaps a small spark of patriotism left in that cold husk you call your body?"

Dr. Amedeo huffed and turned, fixing dead eyes on Green. "Your humor irritates me. This is a delicate orchestration. No room for error."

"Yeah, you're right. Still…" Green walked over and stood beside Amedeo, looking out onto the city. From where they were he could easily point out where his mark was staying. "Won't your absence be noticed? I don't think White would appreciate what we're planning here."

"He would not appreciate it. Deva is distracting with the search for errant experiment Huntress. I am safe."

Green let out a cynical snicker and looked to his companion. "And I'm expendable, right? Just like our pretty little girl in the park?"

"Precisely."

Green made an annoyed grunt and rolled his eyes. "Well, I suppose it's always better to know where I stand. That much I have over Asura at least. Still…there's a lot up to chance here Doctor, and there could be even more if Jason got involved. Now THAT White would pay attention to."

Amedeo looked at Green, searching his face, before letting out a wheezing cough and turning to his own reflection in the glass. "All tyrants fall because they attempt to control every single variable. Even the greatest mind can become bogged down by too much information. It also leaves one open to weakness, because the interference of one detail will throw everything off. To win, do not try to control, but guide. Allow the illusion of chance in your machinations and the enemy will never be sure if he is striking where you are truly vulnerable. He will never know how far your reach is. Mr. Black embodies this element of chance perfectly. He will continue to do so."

Green nodded and turned to make his way back to the doors. This was not his only meeting for the day. "So, I can assume I have my orders then?"

Silence followed question, and then "Yes. Proceed as planned. Insure Mr. Black continues performing his role of chance. No matter the cost, Mr. Green, personal or otherwise."

"So hey, can you teach me that flip thing you did with the horse guy?"

**()()()()**

Asura looked down and to her side as she relaxed against a tree. Zane stood there, smiling up at her expectantly and bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. It was cute, Asura thought; not much in her life was cute, which was probably the reason she and Marshall were still there in the park, making light conversation with Kie'sel and Zane. Speaking of whom…

"No."

Zane seemed to visibly deflate. "Why not?"

"Because you're not flexible enough." Asura thought for a moment. "And I don't know you very well. You might try to take advantage of a simple girl like me." If the sudden paling of the boy's face, Asura got the feeling that he had taken her tease seriously.

"Hg-hgglaargh!"

Or perhaps he was going to puke on her shoes. Thankfully the others were far enough way, chatting with each other, that they hadn't noticed.

Asura quickly slipped her shoes off and glared down at him. "Why the fuck did you just puke on my shoes, punk?"

To his credit, Zane looked ashamed enough as he nervously scratched at the back of his head. "So-sorry. Your comment just made me think of a really super gross movie I saw the other day. Feli-something or other…"

"Felidae?" At Zane's nod she made a gagging noise of her own. "Oh bleh! My mom rented that for me when I was nine once, and I wouldn't speak to her a month afterwards! I mean…bleh!"

Zane wiped some remaining puke from his lips before crossing his arms. "Yeah, well, at least you had someone to blame other than yourself! My mom doesn't even know I saw it. Although that's probably for the best now that I think about it…"

"Damn straight it is, boy…"

Silence fell between the two of them again, as Asura leaned back against her tree and her young companion against his own. After a few silent seconds he flashed a cheeky grin at her. "So, since we know each other now, NOW will you teach the flip thing to me?"

Asura felt her lips twitch up into a smile, even as she shook her head. "Nice try boy, but no. No, nope, nada, nu-uh, never, negative, negatory, and…no again."

Once again Zane visibly deflated. "Aww, but why not!"

Asura pushed off from the tree she was leaning on and stooped down to face level with the boy. "Two reasons. One, I don't like whiner minors. Two, you've been staring at my breasts since we met."

"Yeah, well, I've just been trying to find them. Kinda small if you haven't noticed."

To his credit, Zane managed to dodge the first punch thrown at him. The second one however caught him right in the face, sending him straight to the ground; he instantly curled up into a ball, covering up his face with his hands as whimpers shook his body. Asura growled and advanced until she was crouching down over his curled up form. She pried his hands out of the way and prepared to smash his face in…when a thick glob of blood was spat into hers. She barely got out a startled yelp before Zane shifted his legs beneath her and pushed out, flipping her over him and onto her back.

The two lay there for a moment, silence between them, until both began chuckling together at once. Asura wiped the blood from her face and rolled over onto her front. Zane mirrored her movement, and they just lay there grinning at each other.

"Ya know punk; I could just beat your ass to the ground, if your cute little friend over there wasn't staring at us funny. So for now I'll just settle with saying you're pretty fun…for a kid."

The boy rolled his eyes and sat up into a sitting position. "Gee Hinata, thanks. And I'll have you know, I'm not a kid! I'm almost 14; I've been going through puberty for nearly two years!"

Asura raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?" She worked her way onto her feet and offered Zane her hand, helping him onto his feet. "Well, I'm 18, I'm THROUGH puberty, ah!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Call me in four years, boy, then maybe I'll beat your ass like it deserves."

"Well fine then!" Zane thrust his hand forward. His brow was knit in determination. "That's a date, Miss Hinata!"

Asura grinned and took the offered hand, vigorously shaking it. Indeed it was…

**()()()()**

A/N: Well, this chapter turned out pretty much as I expected actually, that's a first. *chuckles* Anyway, here's some nice character development for Green, Zane, and Asura, as well as an ominous appearance by the terrifying Dr, Amedeo! What does this villain have in store for our favorite pair of estranged siblings? Find out…I'm not saying! *cackles evilly*


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of the respective characters. I make no money from this writing.

A/N: Remember folks, underlined words mean they are being spoken in a language other than English, **bold** means that special emphasize is being put on the bold word or words; and finally, _Italics _means that it is a dream sequence, a memory that's not a flashback, or coming in over a phone, radio, or TV. Got it memorized?

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 12

**()()()**

_The Past…_

The rain poured down onto Jason's head and shoulders, drenching them in the kind of freezing cold that sapped the strength from limbs. His head was down, eyes focused on the coffin slowly lowering down into the empty pit. In the darkness of the rain the hole looked like a ravenous mouth, swallowing up the casket for its hunger.

Jason had never pitied his brother's body before that image came to him.

To his left, at the head of the crowd, the priest led the assembled mourners in a prayer for the fallen soldier. Jason didn't join in. Instead he stood and listened, his eyes never once leaving the casket that held his brother's remains. Even his aquaphobia wasn't bothering him, though he sorely wished that it was. That at least would have been a valid excuse to leave.

The priest finished, and slowly the crowd began to disperse. Jason turned to leave, before a gentle hand on his shoulder made him stop. It was Dalfer.

"I'm very sorry for your lost, Master Jason. If, perhaps, you need anyone to talk to…"

Jason forced himself to smile and nod to his oldest friend. "Thank you, Dalfer. Really, I…I appreciate it. You'll have to excuse me for now though; I think my father wants to talk to me."

Nodding again to the aged butler, Jason peeled off from the crowd of departing mourners and made his way to his father's limousine. His father stood waiting there, hands folded calmly in front and a solemn expression on his face. "Get in, Jason. There are a great many things we must talk about."

Not feeling up to an argument at the moment, Jason obediently climbed into the back row of the vehicle, facing forwards toward the driver. His father climbed in right behind him, taking the opposite row and facing him. The pair sat in silence as the driver pulled out and began driving home, before Jason looked around and frowned. "Where's Mom?"

"She was unable to come. I had her stay home to avoid a scene in case her grief overcame her."

"Right, of course. Heaven-forbid we tarnish your good name." The older man's face remained stony, causing Jason to shake his head and sigh. "Whatever. Listen Dad, whatever you want to talk about, I am sure this is the wrong time for it."

"Then once again, you are wrong." Dardanos shook a cigarette out of a pack, lighting it up and taking a deep drag, letting it back out with a slow, measured breath. "With Castor dead, changes must be made. Arrangements made and deals struck. You, naturally, will have to replace him and-"

"Jesus Christ Dad! He was just put into the damn ground! Your first son is dead and you're already talking business crap!"

His father glowered at him as if he was a stain on a shoe. "Yes, in fact I am. I see now my mistake in focusing all my efforts on Castor, and so I must move quickly to make you adequate. Starting tomorrow you will leave that public abomination the city calls a school; no one but the best tutors for you now. Furthermore we shall-"

"Fuck it, Dad!" Jason's hands were clenched, his teeth bared; he was doing all he could to not throw himself at the man before him. "I just…can't believe you're discarding him so quickly! He was your pride and joy…"

"Yes he was. I don't quite understand your problem over all this though. I am merely offering you all that he had. Haven't you always resented him for the attention he received?"

"Ye-yeah, I did…but…" Jason's eyes clenched shut as he vigorously rubbed at his face. This was all going so…wrong. "I didn't want him dead, Dad. I resented him so much…but he deserves way more respect than this!"

Finally, Dardanos showed a hint of emotion; his lips curled down into a sneer, and his eyes burned with contempt. "Feh. You've been spending too much time with that fool of a butler, boy. The dead do not deserve respect. They can no longer produce, no longer contribute save as fertilizer." He took another drag of his cig and blew a cloud of smoke into Jason's face. "It is the living we are amongst, Jason. It is them we must contend with and show respect to when it is profitable. The dead don't matter."

Jason waved away the smoke, looking back at his father and glaring daggers at him. Something inside finally snapped. "Stop the car." When his father remained still and the driver made no sign of hearing he said it again. And then again. "Stop the damn car now!" Tires screeched, and every occupant of the car lurched as the limo came to a stop. Ignoring his father's protests Jason threw the door open and jumped out.

"Don't do this Jason! You're throwing your future away!"

Jason halted and looked over his shoulder at his father. "No, I'm throwing my **brother's** future away." Turning from his father he slammed the door shut and strode off into the pouring rain. In the distance, the lights of a Marine Corps recruitment office shone.

**()()()**

Jason turned the screwdriver once, twice, a third time, and then set it down on the table next to the rest of his tools. He looked down at the finished arm, a surge of pride welling up in his chest at his small accomplishment. Attached armor plating on the forearm, bicep, and the back of the hand gave the entirety a more muscled look. On the underside of the forearm was a rectangular compartment; inside of that was a spool of conductive metal.

Jason's grin faded as he looked at his handiwork. A moment later he swept the instrument from the workbench, and then his tools. His hand came up to his face and wiped the sweat from it, before he turned to adjust the temperature and froze.

There, standing in the doorway, was Nikki.

The two looked at each other for several seconds, before the Hyena cleared her throat. "You, uh, didn't come at the appointed time today. I was worried, so I came here."

"Oh." Jason looked at her another moment, before ducking his head down. "Sorry. Angela and I…argued a few days ago…it's gotten me busy. Been thinking about a lot of things."

Nikki nodded and moved from the doorway, towards him, eyes roving over all that was scattered on the ground. "What did you two argue about?"

Jason didn't want to explain to Nikki, didn't want to get it off his chest; but if he understood the look in her eyes, he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. So, with a shuddering breath that caused his shoulders to shake, he turned to her fully.

"It was…a stupid thing to get mad over…if I have to admit anything. She was just bothering me about the future. About what she and I would do once I could walk again. I didn't have an answer she liked."

"Was it an answer that you liked?"

Jason jerked as if struck, and he ducked his head down again. "…not really. But that's only because there is no likable answer. When I left my family and joined the Marine Corps, I…well, let's just say I will never be welcome there. Some bridges just can't be rebuilt."

Nikki nodded to this, and reached down to place a gentle hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her. "Jason, your home life wasn't very good, was it?"

"No it wasn't." Having spent so much time with the Hyena and her son over the last two weeks, Jason no longer felt the fear and anger he once did, the first time they had gone through a conversation like this. Now, all he could feel was a need to talk; to confess.

"I come from a rich family. I mean a rich, rich, RICH family. My father was a very good businessman; confident, ambitious, and very proud. He was the kind of man who earned every penny to his name through blood, sweat, and broken lives. And from the day I was born I was an irredeemable smudge on his pride."

"Why was that?"

Here Jason grinned sardonically. "Because I'm a bastard, get it?"

Nikki did not appreciate her companion's sense of humor. And she let him know this with a sharp smack to the back of his head that got him cursing and rubbing at the struck spot for the next several minutes.

"Ow, hey! You didn't even let me finish! Gah…" Jason shook his head. "Anyway, yeah, right little Mommy wrong little Daddy. Although I didn't know any of this back then. All my little brain understood was that my 'father' always hated me, my mother always looked at me with embarrassed, shamed eyes, and my brother…"

"What about your brother?"

Jason's hand clenched shut, followed by his eyes as a rush of unwanted memories swarmed his mind. It was all he could do to keep the tears that threatened to sting at his eyes in.

"Castor…I don't think I've treated his memory right these long years. He was proud like his dad, and confident. But he didn't have the same kind of hate for me, if he had any at all. I don't know, I've hated him for so long, I'm not sure if I'm even remembering him right."

As he had spoken Nikki had kneeled down to face level with him. This made Jason feel uncomfortable, but he couldn't place his finger on why, no matter how hard he tried.

"Jason, I don't know why you might have been angry at him. I don't know everything about your past, or life, or experiences. But, and this is the important thing, you need to let it go. What happened in the past, happened in the past, and if you don't let go of that hatred it will ruin you. Imagine what your kids will be like, if their father raises them full of hate and anger?"

Jason began to nod at this, thinking on it. But then he froze. His eyes widened, a sudden revelation dawning in his mind as Nikki's words connected themselves to memories. Memories of his real father…

"_Evil? Is that what they call me? Evil is a word used by the ignorant and weak. Life is about survival; unleashing your inner power, not restraining it to make the naturally-weaker feel better. To live under the moral laws of others; to not go to any length necessary to achieve your own personal ends; to live for others instead of yourself…it is all a betrayal of life. Only through me can you fully learn to understand this. Only through me can you achieve your ambitions; make your choice."_

…and memories of his sister, who he hadn't even known of…

_Spitting out a glob of blood and saliva, the prisoner looked at him happily. "It means exactly what it sounds like, little Jason. You seek power, you hunger for control; and in doing so, you hope to destroy the threats to that which is precious to you. What a noble, praiseworthy endeavor!"_

White had been filled with anger and discontent, which he passed on to his children. Could he, Jason, do the same? Would the same thing happen if he didn't do as Nikki said? If he didn't…

Something must have changed in Jason's expression, because a moment later Nikki placed a hand on his knee and looked at him strangely. "Jason, is something wrong? You don't look alright…"

Jason didn't feel alright; he ran hand over his face, groaning. "I'm…I don't know…" His eyes searched the cramped workshop, the scattered tools, mechanized limb thrown to the floor, and felt his stomach perform a somersault. "I just feel like I need to get out; out of here, out of…life. It's been dark…for so long. So many bad memories, bad experiences, and so few good ones to keep me going."

Nikki's grip on his knee strengthened, and then she stood up with a strange smile on her face. "Jason. Oh my sweet, confused, torn Jason. You're just at the darkest part of the story, hun. People's lives reach these points, and they have to make a choice, fully and for themselves; sink or swim." She held her hand out to him, open and inviting.

"Take my hand Jason, come with me. And I'll help show you the good in life."

Jason looked from the hand to Nikki. Hesitantly, he reached out and took the hand.

**()()()**

A tremor shook through Asura's body. She hid it from her afternoon companion with a cough, but she needn't have bothered. Shopping, it seemed, was something Kie'sel did with relish.

Asura watched with amusement as the older feline looked left and right, eyes wide and searching for the first sign of a deal or sale. At the same time she talked a thousand miles an hour or so about the Leipzig mall, the different stores, the city, the county; Asura quickly discovered there was little Kie'sel wouldn't talk about, if given half a chance.

The shopping trip had been Marshall's idea, and Asura found with surprise that she was really enjoying herself. It had been ages since her last trip to anything like this; she hadn't realized the Organization had been taking up so much of her time, but now she couldn't help but feel somewhat...resentful about it. Would her mother of wanted things like this? Or, was she just being uselessly selfish? She supposed it didn't matter right then; she was already there, after all.

Marshall had promised Asura in private that he would keep up with the surveillance, as well as stay within easy contact should she need anything. She hadn't needed anything, so far, but Asura found it rather comforting, if she was honest with herself.

"Thinking about your boyfriend, Miss Hinata?"

Asura snapped back from her thoughts at the question, and blushed when she found herself the focus of Kie'sel's attention. "I'm sorry, my what?"

"You know, your boyfriend!" Several passerby shot the pair funny looks, and Kie'sel giggled. "That hunky stallion you're always hanging around with! I bet he's rather…gifted in bed, hehe!"

Asura's face burned with the embarrassment she felt right then. Worse yet, her mind snapped to memories of the two of them sparring, his thickly muscled chest gleaming with sweat, his muscles bulging with each movement...sometimes, she really hated her active imagination.

Snapping away from the increasingly dirty thoughts her mind was throwing at her, Asura grabbed her companion's hand and pulled, leading Kie'sel from the clothing store they'd been perusing dresses in and to a secluded area for sitting and resting. She glared at Kie'sel all the way.

"He's not my boyfriend, you twit! He's my bodyguard, and friend at most!"

"Oh, really?" Kie'sel did her giggle again. "If you insist…anyway, I'm really happy you invited me on this shopping trip. I haven't been to this mall in months."

The honestly happy smile on Kie'sel's face made Asura smile as well. "You are welcome. I mean, what are…friends for? Besides, I haven't been able to go on a shopping trip in YEARS. My father and brother run a very tight schedule you see."

Kie'sel frowned and leaned forward, placing her hand softly on Asura's. "Miss Hinata, forgive me for saying this, but your mentions of family…really don't paint them in a good picture. A girl your age shouldn't be kept so busy all the time, you should be enjoying yourself."

Asura sighed and shrugged. She found Kie'sel's touch to be surprisingly…pleasant. "My father's vision is very important. He cares a lot about it, and he'd be crushed if I didn't help him. I want to make him happy, that's all."

"But what about your happiness?" The black and white-furred Cat reached forward and cupped Asura's cheek, sending a shiver down both their spines. "At some point you will need to start thinking more for yourself you know. Don't you have ambitions of your own?"

Asura found that she couldn't answer that. The truth was she hadn't thought of having ambitions of her own since her mother died. So instead she closed her eyes and leaned into Kie'sel's touch, letting out a soft purr. Her companion giggled and stroked Asura's cheek.

"Hmm, Miss Hinata, would you mind if I said you were very pretty?"

Asura's cheeks lit up; she had never gotten that compliment from a girl before. She opened her eyes to find her face inches from Kie'sel's. Kie'sel had a blush on her cheeks as well, as together the two Cat's began to lean closer together. Asura licked her dry lips, her eyes locked with Kie'sel's golden orbs.

Just before their lips touched Asura smirked and pulled away. "Sorry hun, no kissing on the first date, as they say. But you've got me curious now. What about you; what are your ambitions in life?"

Though Asura knew she must be feeling frustrated by how close they came, Kie'sel made no show of it. Instead she merely shrugged and smiled at the question. "My ambition in life is to serve my employer, Ms. Nikki, to the best of my ability!"

In her mind Asura screamed out _hypocrite!_ To Kie'sel she tilted her head in a show of curiosity. "Really? Sounds kinda like what I'm doing."

"Oh, but its not!" Kie'sel shifted in her seat, suddenly looking uncomfortable to Asura. "I do this for Ms. Nikki because I owe her my life! When I was…younger, many men took me from my family and sold me as a pet. It was horrible, and demeaning, and more often than not I thought of taking my own life rather than continue living the life I'd been forced into."

Kie'sel wiped her eyes of the tears that had formed there, and Asura wondered how long it had been since she had given this tale. Then that thought made her wonder IF Kie'sel had ever told this story to anyone before.

Nonetheless, Kie'sel continued. "It was years later, when I began to lose my sense of personhood, that I was rescued. By Ms. Nikki, amazingly. She found me when I was wandering the streets, damp and not sure which way it was to my owner's place, and took me in. And then, when my owner eventually tracked me down…well, let's just say that Ms. Nikki is a lot fiercer than she looks, especially for those she cares for."

"I see…" Asura fidgeted in her seat, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken. Looking from Kie'sel's face Asura noticed one of the other female's hands had moved up and clutched at the bell on the collar she wore. Asura frowned. "Is that a, uh, souvenir...from your past?"

Kie'sel jumped and gripped tighter at the bell. She looked from Asura to the bell, and back up again, before slowly letting go and bringing her hand back down to her lap. "Oh, well yes. It's my collar, I can't seem to bare being apart from it. Sorry if I've bored you with all this. Here, let's just go get something to ea-"

Kie'sel was silenced by two of Asura's fingers on her lips. Asura smiled and leaned forward towards her. "No, I should say sorry for bringing it up. So here's my sorry."

Their lips touched, and a soft moan slipped from Asura. This was…new; different from kissing Green, but just as good. The other woman's lips tasted sweet, like vanilla, and this close she couldn't resist the scent that sent shivers running up and down her spine. It was all nearly overwhelming, and she wanted, **needed** to feel more.

Asura had just begun to pull away, a suggestion forming on her lips for the two of them to go somewhere more private, when a new shudder shook her body. But this one was different. Asura let out a choked grunt before dropping down onto her hands and knees. Above her, Kie'sel's voice rang out, frightened, but Asura couldn't answer back. She tried to, but the only thing to come out was a choking spray that painted the floor beneath her crimson.

More voices came from above her now, as Asura gripped at her chest. Her eyes bulged in pain, terror, a gurgle leaving her as she fell to her side on the ground. Another choking cough, another spray of blood left the wall in front of her red.

Darkness began to eat away at her vision. Her hand gripped at her chest tighter, fingers digging into flesh and drawing blood.

"Help...someone...pl...please..."

**()()()**

A/N: You all hate me now, don't you? Hehe, nah, you just hate my cliffhangers. :3 Any who, please leave a comment after reading.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of the respective characters. I make no money from this writing.

A/N: Remember folks, underlined words mean they are being spoken in a language other than English, **bold** means that special emphasize is being put on the bold word or words; and finally, _Italics _means that it is a dream sequence, a memory that's not a flashback, or coming in over a phone, radio, or TV. Got it memorized?

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 13

**()()()()()**

Jason stared out over the rows and rows of headstones, and grimaced. The cemetery was large. Huge, the biggest he had seen since D.C. The white headstones stood like teeth, one half of a gaping maw held open. And he, alone on that tall hill except for his companion, hated the view.

"Nikki, why did you bring me here?"

The Hyena stood beside him, looking out over the graves with him. She was silent for a moment after the question; Jason figured she was working the answer out in her mind.

"I brought you here Jason, because…I haven't been quite honest with you." A breeze stirred Jason's hair, and in the distance he could hear vehicles on the motorway. "You see, I know all about how you got in that wheelchair. And I know all about the problems with your biological father White. I know all this because your cousin Fisk and I served in the Army at the same time. He's the one who contacted, and hired me to get you back on your feet. Do you want to know why?"

Jason turned in his wheelchair seat and looked up at her. "I would hope it's because I'm family. That he cares about me despite my…parentage."

Nikki shook her head and let loose a chuckle that made Jason's spine tingle. "He told me you were too important an asset to leave lying around. That despite whatever his personal feelings were, you needed to be working against White's group in some way. And he thought I could do it."

Jason's hand clenched on his armrest, and he struggled to keep his voice even. "So then, why did you decide to help me?"

Again Nikki was silent for awhile, longer this time. Jason watched as her expression shifted between sadness, determination, and regret. Then she looked down, her grey locking with his red, and she sighed. "Fisk grew into a detached, ruthless killer, who likes to use his job as a way to skip out on all the bits of parenting he doesn't find satisfying. But…when he approached me he had a point."

"That my father has to be opposed?"

"No, that you needed help." Nikki circled around and kneeled by his side. Her hand found his shoulder stump and she smiled. "You remind me of the Fisk I knew in the Army, and also from my childhood. You've endured so much, but still have so much strength in you. My son loves you like the father he never had, he talks about you all the time when he's home. And you have a girlfriend, and a child on the way who you will consider a blessing every day you get to raise him. Or her, that's not what is important."

Her other hand took his and gave it a squeeze. "Now, you are going to walk again. You are going to have a long, happy life that will put all who hurt you to shame. And finally, you are going to prove your father, White, wrong about how the world has to be. You are going to be an **example** of how the world should be."

Jason had stared her in the eyes the entire time she spoke. When she finished he shook his head and looked back to the grave markers. "How can you say all that, Nikki? Hell, how can you say anything! How do you know White's wrong, that people aren't all just out for what they can get? Or that the only way to live life is to always be taking more power, more control?"

Jason gestured wildly out at all around them. When he spoke he yelled, furious. "60 years ago this country caused the death of **60 million people**! How can you say there's even one God-damn thing in this life worth it all!"

Visibly undisturbed by Jason's rant, Nikki calmly stood up and looked down at him. "Because, little Jason, I have a little faith." She gave him a shove, and with a yell Jason began rolling backwards.

**()()()()()**

A shudder, and Asura retched red all over her sheets. She whimpered and tried to lift herself up and out of the bloody mess, only to get pushed back down by Marshall.

"Hold on Miss Asura, just lie still. The scan is almost complete."

Asura whimpered again, shaking hands grasping onto Marshall's arm. "I don't wanna die again…don't wanna die again…please don't let me die aga-ga-gaaugh!" Her body convulsed, her back arching until it looked like her spine was broken, and another spurt of blood left her mouth.

"You're not going to die Asura! Just please, hang on!"

Marshall tore himself from Asura's failing grasp and turned to the other occupant of her bedroom-turned-medical chamber. "Damn it doctor, what is wrong with her?"

The Organization medical officer wilted from the Stallion's towering form and read out from his scanner. "S-sorry Sir! The patient Asura has been poisoned. I'm a-analyzing for the exact countermeasure, but this will take time! The poison itself hasn't even been fully identified yet! Sir!"

"Poisoned…" Marshall gripped the sides of his head, his eyes clenching shut as he absorbed the news. Poisoned. His ward, his responsibility, had somehow been poisoned…

"Oh…oh no…" He kneeled beside the bed, his eyes opening and moving to Asura. She had stopped convulsing; from what he could tell she had fallen asleep. That was good, he probably wouldn't have been able to stomach any more of her whimpers for help. It had been…pathetic.

"Sir, should I uh, notify Mr. White of his daughter's condition? He might…want to know…"

Marshall shook his head, not taking his eyes from Asura's still form. "No…no, only contact him if Asura-Hime expires. No need to…cause undue worry." Marshall continued watching Asura breath, counting each one a blessing. Then a morbid thought appeared in his mind, and he turned to look at the doctor.

"What can you tell me about the poison?"

"Not much I'm afraid. It might not even be a poison, following the strict sense of the word. However, scans show that for several weeks the patient has been receiving into her body a chemical that has negatively affected her cardiac and skeletal muscles, degrading them to the point where her heart has begun to fail. Tell me, have her physical abilities shown any degradation in the past two or three weeks? Commander? Are you even still listening to me?"

Marshall was, but only distantly. At the medical officer's words his mind had pulled up a memory, nearly a week old, that Marshall hadn't even realized he had…

"_Life means nothing, my dear." Yawning Green slid off the bed and strolled sleepily to a nearby case. Asura kept her eyes on his butt, only half-listening to him as he spoke. "But, it can still be annoying. That's why I made this, lovely." Opening the case he picked up a syringe from a row and presented it to her. It was filled with a translucent green liquid. "I've noticed you're quite the fan of my stimulant; have some."_

Marshall slowly stood from his kneeling position and turned for the door. His fists were clenched, his teeth bared in a scowl as he stormed past the quivering medical officer. He couldn't believe it; he didn't want to believe it. But he did, and Captain Duncan Marshall was going to kill that Fox bastard.

**()()()()()**

A low murr passed from Angela's lips as the ultrasound probe was passed over her belly. Like always it sent a tingle through her body, and a ringing in her ears. One of the things of being a Bat, she guessed.

The attending physician shot her a smile, a smile Angela returned. "So, how are things looking for us today?"

The Obstetrician, a brown-furred Rabbit, spent a few seconds observing the readout from the ultrasound, her face professionally inscrutable to Angela. However, Angela would have needed to be blind to not recognize the growing sense of satisfaction in the physician's eyes. "Hmm, growth seems about where it should be at this stage…no odd shadows or spots…everything seems to check out."

Angela let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. She supposed, no matter how well things seem to be going, it's only right and proper for a mother to be as worried about her children as she wants to be. That's how she thought of it anyway.

Angela turned her gaze from the doctor to her belly, which was only beginning to show the slightest hint of a bulge. Gentle hands rubbed over it as she let out a contented sigh. "It's such a relief to hear all that. After…after what happened with my first son…"

"Ah, I see what you mean." The doctor nodded and flashed Angela a reassuring smile. "You have no need to worry about that. You're body has been clean of that sickness for quite a while, there is little chance of your future children being affected by it."

Angela nodded as she kept rubbing over her belly, before snapping her head up to the Rabbit. "Wait, children?"

The Rabbit smiled and nodded. She seemed to be quite excited about all this. "That is right. You are carrying twins. It's quite rare for someone to conceive two pairs of twins in a row, you must feel quite special!"

Angela nodded, but stayed silent. Her throat felt dry and her eyes wet, and a strange feeling welled up in her chest. It took a few seconds for her to realize what it was.

Gratitude.

"Th-thank you." Angela meant it more than the smiling and nodding doctor could ever know. Because Angela wasn't just thanking the doctor for this news. No, she was thanking God too, for giving her this unbelievable second chance. A chance she felt she could never deserve, but could not refuse.

The chance to get her first pregnancy **right**.

**()()()()()**

Green stepped into the foyer of his office building, giving the barest of nods to the pair of guards that flanked him upon his exit.

"Hey boys, has the delivery arrived yet?"

The Wolf of the pair checked his PDA and nodded. "Yes sir, it is waiting for you in loading area B."

Green grinned. "Good, good. Lead the way then. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Following behind the two guards as they led the way to the building's loading area, Green allowed his mind to wander. This package was key this stage of the plan. Not just important, but key! Dr. Amedeo had insured that this was straight from his labs and fully ready for use. This was something countries would pay millions, **billions** for. It was something that, in the right hands, could even eclipse Jason Black's "Perfect Kiragan."

The first 12 mass-produced doses of the formula used to create the "Killer Eye." Amedeo had reworked the formula it to fully mature for the subject within 48 hours, instead of the 10 years it had taken to mature to a workable level in Jason. However, this necessitated simplification and scaling back. Soldiers outfitted with this injection would never match the abilities of Jason's generation, but that didn't matter. After all, Jason was just one man, and it wasn't like there were many others like him. Not like them.

But even with the simplification of the process, Green and Amedeo both doubted that there would be much more produced for quite a while. Even with the wealth of ShiroTech financing it, $500,000 per dose was a massive loss that the Organization just couldn't afford. At the moment.

Arriving at the loading area, Green moved to in front of his guards and led the way to the heavily armored van idling half-way from the exit. It looked like something a bank would use, or the police when transporting a high value criminal. Though Green knew the cargo was being delivered by neither of those groups.

A Mouse stepped from the driver's side seat and met Green and his guards at the rear door. He looked the Fox up and down before nodding and opening the rear doors. "Let's make this quick, please. The Doc wanted me back at base ASAP."

Green nodded. "Certainly, certainly. Just hand over the cargo and you'll be on your way."

The driver nodded and turned to the van, taking two large metal containers from a guard on the inside. "Right, here they are. The formula's split into two injections. One works on the eyes, the other adapts the body so that it can keep up with the eyes. The doc says to never take the eye half without the body half."

Green chuckled and took a few rolls of hundreds from his pocket and tossed them to the Mouse. "Gee, thanks for the advice. It makes me feel like the decrepit geezer really cares. But tell me, what would happen if you gave just the body half of the formula to someone? Say…a child?"

To Green it looked like the Mouse driver began to respond, before his whole head simply exploded, raining blood, bone, and chunks of brain matter on everyone present. The guard in the van and the pair beside Green all barely had time to react before they also lost their heads, leaving Green standing alone next to the van and the containers.

With remarkable calm for someone who was dripping with brain matter, Green began unbuttoning his suit as he slowly turned to the entrance he and his guards had come from. There stood Marshall, from head to toe suited up in his Organization Captain's armor, and a G36 trained on Green's head.

"Hand over the containers, you bloody bastard, before I put a bullet in your brain."

It started low at first, unnoticeable over the ambient noise of the area. Then it grew, a high, keening cackle that sent shivers running up and down Marshall's trained body. Green's head was thrown back; his mouth wide as mad, mocking laughter rang threw the area. Then Green took his contacts off and looked at the Horse with eyes that burned like lava.

Suddenly, Marshall wasn't sure he had enough bullets in his gun.

**()()()()()**

A/N: Y'all just hate me and my shocking reveals, don't ya?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of the respective characters. I make no money from this writing. I also don't own the song _How It Ends_ by Devotchka, or the lyrics thereof. I do own the characters Jason Black, Angela Faunt, the Hite family, Duncan Marshal, Dr. Amedeo, and Mr. Green.

A/N: Remember folks, underlined words mean they are being spoken in a language other than English, **bold** means that special emphasize is being put on the bold word or words; and finally, _Italics _means that it is a dream sequence, a memory that's not a flashback, or coming in over a phone, radio, or TV. Got it memorized?

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 14

**()()()()()()**

Hold your grandmother's Bible to your breast.  
Gonna put it to the test.  
You want it to be blessed.  
And in your heart,  
You know it to be true,  
You know what you gotta do.  
They all depend on you.  
And you already know.  
Yeah, you already know how this will end.

**()()()()()()**

He lay face down, listening to the silence. He was perfectly alone. Nobody was watching; nobody was there. He was not even sure that he was there himself.

A long time later, or perhaps no time at all, he came to the realization that he must be there, must be more than disembodied thought, because it felt as if he was lying on some surface. That meant he had a sense of touch, and something to touch, so that meant that the surface he lay on existed too.

As soon as he reached this conclusion, Jason's eyes opened without him having even realized they were closed, and he found himself on his side, staring down at clean white marble. Which was strange, because the last thing he could remember was rolling…falling down a grassy hill. Then came a sharp crack and the world had gone black. Had Nikki taken him somewhere? Had Organization agents finally come for him? Was he…was he dead?

He lifted his gaze from the floor and looked around. The whole area seemed like a world of mist. It was not like the area was concealed within the cloudy vapor, but as if nothing had yet formed from it. The floor beneath him was white and featureless, neither hot nor cold. Just something on which to stand on.

He sat up, and realized that he had both his arms. He reached up and traced a hand over his face. No scar was over his right eye, and the cold plastic and metal prosthetic jaw was flesh and fur again. His body was restored, unscathed; Jason could have cried at this.

The sound of footsteps came from behind him, and Jason turned to see a black-furred Cat standing there watching him. The Cat wore a simple white tunic and pants, and looking down Jason saw he was wearing them same. Jason looked back up to see the stranger smile sadly.

"Seeing you, even with those eyes…it's like looking at my sister again. You've really taken from our side of the family, Jason."

"I…" Jason recognized this man, had seen him in photographs. But it wasn't possible, it couldn't be. "…James Black…?"

The man smile grew and he nodded. "Yes, though that's Uncle to you, Jason. Oh Jason, you wonderful boy. A son any father would be proud to have. Come; let us go for a walk."

Confused and, willing to admit it, scared, Jason followed James Black as the dead man led him away from where he had awakened, to three seats that Jason had not noticed before. On one of the seats was a crumpled body; whatever its species or fur color was had gotten covered over in blood. Jason cringed at the sight and took the chair further from the thing, forcing his attention from it back to James. The thick black fur, the green eyes Fisk and Lucy had inherited, the strong jaw; it was just as he had seen the man in photographs. And yet…

"You're dead," Jason said.

"Oh yes, that's quite right." James smiled rather matter-of-factly. "From an earthly perspective I've been dead for quite some time."

"Then…" Jason choked up. The question felt like bile in his throat. "Am I dead too?"

"Ah, that's a good question, my boy." James' smile grew warmer, that warmth reaching Jason well before his answer. "I would have to say that, like anyone who has been subjected to Amedeo's unholy machine, you are half-dead."

Jason flinched as the flesh pile on the other chair shifted. James kept smiling.

"Half-dead?" repeated Jason.

"Half-dead," said James.

"But I…" Jason shook his head, as if the movement would banish this strange dream from him. "Amedeo's machine, you mean the one that brought…but when did…I suppose it must have been after the battle in the steel mill. White's blast killed me."

James nodded, his smile now grave and solemn. "That's right. After the heat of the battle, someone in his group must have thought that you were more useful alive. As if all your value was in what you could do for them, the fools."

"Then…" Jason tried to ignore the pathetic wheezes and trembling coming from the bloody body. "What is that?"

James spared it a glance and sighed. "You can't help her here, that's a job for others for the moment. Don't worry about her."

Jason had so many questions he felt he needed to ask, so many answers he needed. "Is she half-dead too? And where are we anyway? Just…" Jason jumped from his seat and grabbed hold of James by the collar. "God damn it, what's going on here!"

If the dead Cat was upset in any way by Jason's outburst he didn't show it. James looked up from his seat, and at the sight of his face Jason let go. Tears were softly streaming from those green eyes. "I am deeply, deeply sorry for all that has ever happened to you. Jason, please, sit down."

Jason obeyed the soft-spoken request, a feeling of shame welling up within him at his outburst. "I'm…sorry for that."

James waved this away. "Don't be, you deserve an explanation, and I'm here to give you the answers you need. Half-dead is when the natural order is disrupted, when a soul is dragged back to Earth by the revival of its body. A small part of it will always stay…where it had gone, keeping the revived person tethered there. It's how you can be here, talking with me." He sighed and looked to Jason with knowing eyes. "You have been…dragged back at times, haven't you? In dreams, when your mind is less involved with Earthly things."

Jason felt a chill crawl up his spine, and he could only nod numbly in understanding. "So then…that watery hell I dream of…is really…?"

"Hell, yes. Or at the least your perception of the beyond as you are know. You can still change it though, you still have time. That's why you're here, dear boy."

"Why I'm here?" Jason swept his gaze around the vaporous place. "Strange hearing you say that. After finding out I'm a bastard child, I've been having trouble believing I ever had a purpose."

A moment later and Jason felt James' hand on his in a gentle grip. "You make your own purpose Jason. That's your gift, that's everyone's gift. You can use it wisely or abuse it. Only…lives can be ruined, when someone abuses it….

Jason understood. "My father. White."

James nodded. A sense of shame overcame his features. "William Hite. The boy I found and loved like a son. Can you forgive me, Jason? Can you forgive me bringing such a terror to the world?"

The body beside them convulsed, but neither paid it any mind. Jason returned James' grip. "Forgive you? James…Uncle, if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have even been born! And you couldn't have expected how things turned out; you just wanted to help a child!" And to Jason's surprise, he meant his words.

"Yes, yes, quite right I guess." James took a deep breath. "But as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I tried to teach William the values and ethic of an American. I wanted to bring some good into his life, after almost all he had known was life as a street urchin. Maybe if we'd had some more time together, maybe if I had been stronger against him being associated with the Company, maybe even if Sheila and I had filled out the adoption paperwork before I went on my last mission, everything could have been different. But…things happened as they happened. It's too late for me to do anything about it. If I had lived things would have been different, but now it's up to others. Up to you, Jason."

Jason's eyes widened. "Up to me? You're asking me to kill me father. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the hero type. I'm a traitor."

"Perhaps. But Jason," James clasped a hand on Jason's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You're also a father, a brother, a son, a lover, and a survivor. Your life has been tough, and it has made you tougher. You have a family and a future, something White doesn't. Behind all his weapons and plans and soldiers, he has nothing. **Nothing**. He can only love something as far as it will love him back."

Jason listened to all this, and a new wonder took hold of him. For the longest time neither Jason nor James spoke. The silence was only interrupted by the flailing and whimpering of the creature near them. The sudden realization of what was to come next settled on Jason, like a heavy blanket. But he still had one last question to ask.

"Uncle, is it all worth it?"

James Black smiled to Jason, as if this simple question was the most important one someone could ask. "Is it worth it to wade back into the pain, the fear, the suffering? Worth it to keep going when the whole world tells you to stop, when all seems to have turned against you? Yes, Jason. it's worth it."

**()()()()()()**

Jason opened his eyes to find himself laying face down on the ground again. The smell of dirt and grass filled his nose, and the back of his head ached like hell. He barely paid this any mind as he propped himself up with his one arm. With a grunt of effort he rolled around into something like a sitting position and rested back against a headstone. Now that he thought about it, his whole body ached.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Jason. Have a nice talk?" Jason looked right and saw Nikki kneeling several feet away. In her hands was a first aid kit. "If you want to punch me for pushing your down a hill, I won't stop you."

For a moment, Jason wanted to do just that. She'd certainly earned it. But he held himself back. "I won't hurt you Nikki. Just tell me this; how did you know to do it?"

Nikki blushed and ran a hand through her hair. "This will sound crazy but…the night you told my son about what all you used to do, he had a dream. He met a man who called himself-"

"James Black?" Nikki nodded, and Jason sighed. "That would be my deceased uncle. And yes, I did have a nice talk. It was very enlightening."

Nikki grinned and stood up, sliding the kit she held into a pocket. "Well, that's good; no need to tell me anything." Nikki looked from Jason to a spot a few feet behind him, and her smile grew sheepish. "Um, think you can walk to the car? Your chair might not be…up to the task."

Jason turned to follow her gaze. His wheelchair lay against a headstone, the back bent out of shape and one of the wheels broken off. It seemed like more damage than should have come from the fall, but Jason didn't comment. It felt good to see the thing ruined.

"Hm, it does look pretty smashed up." Jason didn't grin, or smirk, or scowl. He merely knew what he had to do, and did it.

Nikki grinned as for the first time, she looked **up **to Jason. "You look good out of that chair."

Jason grinned back and walked over to her, his steps unsteady at first before growing smoother, surer. A feeling Jason couldn't identify at first swelled within him. It grew with each step, until suddenly;

"Hey Nikki catch me if you can!"

Jason took off, running full tilt through the field. Nikki watched a moment before loosing a bark of laughter and giving chase.

Yells and screams of delight filled the area as they chased each other, first Nikki after Jason, then Jason after Nikki, back and forth with neither getting caught. Laughter was the name of the game; pure, clean laughter that comes when all troubles and fears are put aside for the time being and the person thinks only of the joy they're feeling at the moment. It was beautiful.

Later, Jason lay on a grassy knoll, his one arm wrapped around Nikki's shoulder. She lay pressed close to him, both panting from their game. The noonday sun beat down on them.

"That was great," Nikki said. Jason nodded, a smile on his face. Nikki leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek. "So, what know Boss?"

That was a good question. Jason stared up into the sky for minutes, thinking over the question. There was so much he could do, so many people he wanted to just be with; life seemed full of possibilities. Then it came to him, and Jason turned to Nikki with a grin.

"I'm going to need your help with something. Where's the nearest jewelry store, and where's a nice place that doesn't need reservations?"

**()()()()()()**

That evening Jason, Nikki, Angela, Dalfer, and Zane all took their seats at a window table in _Butterkeks_. It was a well-sized place that in advertisements seemed to like referring to itself as the _Olive Garden _of German food, though it really had plenty of variety in European cuisine. Kie'sel had not joined the party, much to their concern; she had been kind enough to volunteer watching Constantine for the night. Zane too looked less than enthusiastic, but held back his complaining. Even he could recognize the change in Jason, the light that shined in his eyes. To those who had not known him before the wheelchair, he seemed a totally new person.

But for Angela, it was as if the old Jason had come back. The simmering anger and bitterness that had lurked within him was gone; replaced by the jovial, happy fool she had fallen in love with.

When the drinks came Angela took her _Radler, _a drink equal parts lager and cola, and clacked it against Jason's lager. "It's great getting out like this and enjoying ourselves. What's the occasion?"

Jason and Nikki shared a smile that made Angela's stomach feel odd. Jason then took a sip of his drink and sighed in contentment. "It's just a little announcement for after dinner, or maybe when it arrives. I just…feel like doing what you said, enjoy ourselves. I've recently gained a new perspective on life, you see."

"I dare say, that's quite obvious," Dalfer chuckled. "I must say, Master Jason, I'm just happy to see you with something other than a scowl or a look of intense thought on your face."

"Yeah, intense thinking doesn't suit you!"

Everyone laughed at Zane's joke, especially Jason himself. He clapped the boy on the back and grinned. "You know Zane, you're completely right. For now on I'll let your smartass do all the thinking!"

Angela spit out her drink as she stifled a laugh. Dalfer chuckled even while looking rather embarrassed at Jason's choice of words. Nikki just grinned and patted one of her son's blushing red cheeks. "Heh, looks like he got you there, Zane."

Zane's look of mortification subsided, and he soon joined the others in their laughing at their expense. It felt to them all like a restriction had been lifted from the group, and suddenly it was okay to laugh.

Dinner came, and it was good. Angela ate roasted lamb, with sides of creamed potatoes and carrots. Jason ate, with some help from Angela with the cutting, a seared T-bone steak, with a roasted potato and onion rings as sides. Nikki ate grilled pork chops, with sides of beans and corn. Dalfer ate roast beef, with sides of roasted potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Zane ate grilled trout, with sides of fried onions and asparagus. As they ate they talked. Dalfer told a story of a time when he was in the Royal Marines, he and his unit had been forced to work their way through nearly 20 kilometers of enemy-controlled territory to reach an evacuation center; he even showed off the scar that marked where an enemy sniper had taken the skin off his left shoulder. After that Nikki stood and lifted her blouse, showing off the scar where the doctors had needed to perform a Caesarian Section to get Zane out.

"I don't know if I'm lucky or not to have gotten to skip pushing him out," Nikki joked. "Probably lucky, if the doctors weren't lying when they said he was the biggest baby on record for that hospital!"

"Mooom! You said you wouldn't tell that story anymore!" Zane groaned and covered his face as the table all chuckled at his expense.

Time passed, and soon the meal began coming to a close. Jason ordered a dessert of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream for everyone in the group, before turning to them all and smiling. Now, he thought, was the time.

"My friends, tonight has been a great night. I think, in fact, one of the best nights in my life. Not just for the food, but for the company, each and every one of whom I love. I want to thank all of you for making life so worth living for me." Smiles and some claps around the table, and then Jason turned his attention from the whole to one.

"Angel…I love you, dearly. I bless the day you entered my life, and I never want to live another day of it without you."

All the smiles became suddenly expectant, as what was about to happen dawned on those there. Angela felt her heart skip a beat, her hands curling in her lap. And then, to the joy of all there, most of all Angela, Jason stood from his seat and took a knee in front of her. In his hand he held a white gold ring with a single diamond.

"Angela Faunt, will you be my wife?"

"Yes…oh God yes…"

**()()()()()()**

"M-Mommy…" Asura opened her eyes to darkness. The last thing she remembered was being in a mall with someone, but it was all blurry to her, nothing made sense and her chest ached. The darkness seemed to press in around her.

Asura sat up and felt a sharp pain in her right arm. She winced and looked down; a needle for an IV drip. Taking in the room around her, Asura found herself all alone. No sounds broke the silence except the drip-drip of her IV and her own ragged breathing.

"H-hello?" Asura winced at the sound of her own voice. It was raw and broken, as if someone had taken a cheese grater to the inside of her throat. The sound though wouldn't have been so bad, if not for how out of breath just saying that one word had left her. It was like someone had punched big holes into her lungs, she couldn't seem to fill them all the way.

"Please…anyone…" Asura ripped the needle from her arm and yelped at the pain; she caught the metallic stench of blood and whimpered. In the darkness her hands fumbled around on the bedside table she knew to be set next to her bed, until finding what felt like rolls of gauze. She wrapped it as best she could around where she could feel the blood seeping out, fumbling once or twice as the exertion brought on coughing fits. Each cough sprayed a warm wetness to her lips, making her fight back tears. _Something's really wrong with me._

After doing the best she could on her arm, Asura looked up and to the door. With the sound of the IV out of the way, she could make out voices in the room beyond, muffled by the walls and door.

Asura slipped from the covers and began staggering for the door, feeling vulnerable in the darkness with nothing but her bathrobe on. How she got in it was something she'd rather not think on.

As silently as she could Asura slid her door open and stepped out. Now that she was out she could make the voices out better. They all seemed to be coming from the living room area, and to Asura's alarm they all sounded worried; very worried. She staggered to the corner, turned into the room, and stopped and gasped at the sight that met her.

Three of her guard detail sat crouched around the far couch, all silent and looking up at her like deer caught in headlights. The previous focus of their attention lay on the couch, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. Slashes and stab wounds littered the form, and from where Asura stood she could see one arm twisted the wrong way. The other clutched at something, as if afraid to let go.

"No…" Asura didn't feel her feet move. One moment she stood frozen at the entrance, the next she sat crouched along with the soldiers, whimpering as they damage only looked worse up close. "D-Duncan…"

At the sound of his name the Horse's eyes opened and looked up at her. He tried to smile, but it seemed a pained grimace. "Hey…nice to see you…one last time."

"No…" Asura couldn't understand how this could be happening. She didn't want it to be happening. "Duncan, what happened, who did this?" Asura didn't care right then that she sounded like a frightened little girl in front of her subordinates. She **was **a scared little girl, and all she understood was that her friend was dying. "Who did this!"

Duncan coughed and Asura felt his blood hit her face. Somehow, he managed to look apologetic. "I'm sor…sorry, Asura-Hime…I tried, but he was too much for me…"

"No no no!" Asura cried, her tears falling from her face onto the Horse's chest. "Don't talk like that! We'll just br-bring you back!" Even as she said those words Asura knew she was lying. Resurrections took a lot of resources, resources the Organization would never use up on common soldiers like Duncan.

Duncan knew this too. Somehow his hand found hers, and Asura felt something passed along. He coughed and some foreign emotion passed through his eyes. "The reason I…followed your father…is because I believed in your c-cause." His grip on her hand grew weaker. "But everything's changed. No one can stay true, nngh…to their own principles. Please, save yourself Asur…**Hinata**!"

Hinata shook her head, her eyes pleading with him to stay with her. "Please no, d-don't leave me! I don't want to lose anyone else!" Duncan's eyes began to go dark, and Hinata screamed in rage, not caring as the action felt like her lungs were tearing. "Who did this Duncan! Answer me!"

"Gr-Gr-" He seemed to choke on the words, his throat going through spasms. "Green…" The spasms stopped, and all at once the light left Duncan Marshall's eyes.

Hinata's eyes stayed on the still form, her lips trembling. A strange sound came from her, low at first then rising. The surrounding soldiers all backed away, as the broken girl before them let loose with a sound of pure, primal anguish. There was something in it, something horrible, that passed beyond civilization back into their animal natures.

In her hand, her fingers curled around the two vials Duncan had passed to her.

**()()()()()()**

A/N: So…yeah. Went from one emotional extreme to another, didn't I? To all the Asura/Duncan shippers out there, sorry. And to all the Jason/Angela shippers out there…what, were you expecting anything else to happen?


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Better Days/Original Life, or any of the respective characters. I make no money from this writing. I do own the characters Jason Black, Angela Faunt, the Hite family, Duncan Marshal, Dr. Amedeo, and Mr. Green.

A/N: Remember folks, underlined words mean they are being spoken in a language other than English, **bold** means that special emphasize is being put on the bold word or words; and finally, _Italics _means that it is a dream sequence, a memory that's not a flashback, or coming in over a phone, radio, or TV. Got it memorized?

_The Chronicles of Jason_

From the Ashes: Chapter 15

**()()()()()()**

Dawn's early light broke over the horizon to find Jason already awake. He lay in bed and examined the patterns in the wood ceiling, listening with pleasure to his fiancés breathing. A calm rested over him, a kind of calm he had never experienced before. The events of the previous day had bestowed on him a new perspective on life; a fresh perspective, unhampered by the mounting despair of the past that had made him vulnerable to White's machinations.

With this new perspective however, came knowledge. He could walk again, yes, but Jason knew that a whole new world of hardship and pain was coming. White and his organization was still out there, had been doing who knows what while he just lay about and sulked. Also, it had been months since he had contacted anyone. Fisk…Lucy…Ana…Tommy…Leo; he had to find out if they were still okay, and safe. Asura had promised that they would remain unharmed when he had gone traitor, but…she was dead, if Angela was to be believed.

That was something Jason regretted. The woman was crazy, for sure, and they hadn't really known each other long, but she had been his sister. And he hadn't even known until it was too late to do anything. Too late to save her from their father. And know…

"I have to kill Mr. White."

Jason turned his head to make sure he hadn't woken Angela up. He smiled as the Bat yawned and shifted, turning over onto her side. Once he was sure that she was still asleep he carefully slipped from beneath the covers and donned a pair of pants. Moving across the room he slid the door open and began making his way down the hallway to the workroom.

As he walked down the hall, Jason thought over the plan slowly forming in his mind. He paused outside the door to Dalfer's room and wondered if he should stop a moment and get the opinion of someone else first, someone wiser than he.

"Dalfer, are you awake?"

Jason had barely finished the question when the door opened. Dalfer looked out at him in his sleepwear and nightcap. "Sir? What can I do for you this evening?"

"May I come in, Dalfer? I need to talk. I need advice."

The old Terrier nodded and moved aside to allow Jason entry. Jason smiled appreciatively and entered.

"Dalfer, there are things to be done…"

**()()()()()()**

The early afternoon sunlight shined down onto the wood gym floor, providing the only needed source of light for those inside. It was the school gym, and where Green most often gave his boxing lessons to Zane after school. When he entered the area to start getting ready for such lessons, Green blinked at the sight of Zane already there and warming up.

"Zane, my boy, you're here early. Are things going well for you?"

The young teen smiled over at him and nodded, finishing up his stretching and bounding over to Green. "Yeah, things are going fine. Great. Spectacular!"

"Oh, really?" Green chuckled at Zane's obvious excitement over something and ruffled the boy's hair. "Still pumped by that last win? Got a girlfriend? Found you were 'happy' as a naughtily shaped cucumber?"

"Gr-Green!"

The Fox laughed at Zane's indignant look. It was so easy to get a rise from the boy. "Okay, okay, enough of that. So come on, what's up?"

Zane nearly bounced on his feet in excitement as he answered "Jason's back on his feet! He proposed to Angela just last night!"

The cheerful, playful look on Green's face cracked, but held together. He flashed Zane a grin, though the news shook the Fox to the core, and patted his shoulder. "That's good to hear, that Angela girl seemed like a good girl when I met her. "Although…" Green frowned. "If he's back on his feet, I suppose your friend Jason will be good to go soon, not needing your mom's services anymore.

The smile left Zane's face; it looked like he hadn't considered that yet. Green sighed and motioned to the door. "Listen, I know how much those two grew on ya. Why don't you take a day or so off, get all your goodbyes in order. Mmmkay?"

Zane nodded enthusiastically and, grabbing his gear bag from the bleachers, left. Green waited until the boy was gone before dropping his mask and snatching his cell from his pocket and dialing an encrypted phone number.

It picked up on the first ring. The mechanical whine of Dr. Amedeo's breathing apparatus came through the connection.

"What is it, Mr. Green?"

"It's Jason! I just learned that he's already walking again!" Green paced, nearly screaming into the phone. "This is **weeks **earlier than expected, we're not ready! Asura-"

"Did you poison her as I told you, Mr. Green?"

Green stopped in his pacing and thought over the unexpected question. "Well yes, I did. In fact, according to my men's reports, she collapsed in a mall just the other day, puking blood and convulsing. She should be on death's doorstep."

"Then we have nothing to worry about concerning her, Mr. Green. Brother and sister shall not come into contact, Mr. White will be spurred to even greater works by the tragic, unforeseen death of his only daughter, and **our **commander shall be even more assured of ascending to full command of the Organization once the time is right. And not even the Black family will be able to stop us. Correct?"

"Yes…yes, of course." Green had calmed down, the reminders of "the plan" and its real progress bringing a grin to his lips. He breathed deeply, and then brought the phone back to his lips.

"So…how is Deva, anyway?"

**()()()()()()**

Jason watched the artificial lights of Berlin rise to prominence as the sun sank down beyond the horizon. Behind him, past the living room into the kitchen, the sounds of dishes clanking as they were washed reached him, punctuated by happy voices and the occasional mad giggle. Jason had a feeling the girls were talking about him.

Nikki, Zane and Kie'sel had come over for dinner that night. Over pork chops and green beans they had congratulated him and Angela again over their engagement, something Jason would have no problem allowing forever with the smile it brought to Angela's face.

The marriage talk hadn't lasted forever though, and their conversation had moved on to other things. Everyone in the group had commented on the new synthetic arm Jason had donned, Zane making several rather loud, proud proclamations of how he had helped with it. Zane had brought up how Green had let him skip training sessions for a day or two so that he could hang out more with them, and Nikki had spoken of how they would definitely be visiting him and Angela in America. Dalfer mentioned how he would miss having intelligent conversation with someone other than Angela, which brought laughs from everyone around the table. It was a grand time. Then Jason had brought up his plan, and reactions went just about as he had expected.

Sighing, Jason pressed his forehead against the cool window glass. He felt a presence behind himself and smiled as a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. "You always know when I'm dwelling on things, don't you?"

Angela smiled and leaned against him. Together the couple watched the city. "Of course I do, I even know what you're thinking about."

"Mmm, really?" He smiled and wrapped his mechanical arm around her shoulders. "Then what do you think, Angel? I'm sure that there are ways you'd rather do it, but I think it'd be for the best…"

Angela nodded, but Jason could feel the frown on her face. "I guess…you're right. We have no place with the Company anymore. We do, however, have friends there. And we'll do help them in whatever way we can, right?"

"That's right," Jason replied, nodding. "White may think he has me down…but he's wrong. We're gonna go home, and we're gonna meet back up with Fisk, and Leo, and Ana, and we're not going to stop until our loved ones are safe." Somewhere beyond them in the apartment the front door opened and closed and heard Zane say something, but neither thought any of it. It was probably Nikki's group leaving. Jason continued, "we're going to show White just how wrong he is, about me, and the world. Everything."

"That sounds like an interesting plan. I want in."

Jason and Angela spun around at the voice, and their jaws dropped at the sight they found. Behind them, next to a watching Zane and Kie'sel, stood a tall Amazon of a Cat in red pants, shirt, and scarf. Her fur was a smooth, creamy white, covering slim but toned muscular figure. Her silvery-white hair was tied into a ponytail that ran down to the center of her back, except for several bangs that framed a pair of scarlet eyes.

Hinata looked at both of them, and then focused her gaze on Jason's artificial arm. "I hope you like my present, brother. I have the feeling that we're going to need it." She drew a gun from a hip holster and cocked it. "So, which Organization base will we hit first?"

**()()()()()()**

A/N: And so wraps up the first in the Chronicles of Jason series. I hope y'all enjoyed it, because there's more where that came from. Next up, Jason races against time and a mysterious figure to rescue a powerful soldier from the entire Russian army!


End file.
